Driving in Texas, Part One

Do cars come with turn signals as standard equipment any more? Or are they a very expensive option? Our cars have them; I checked. I remember every car my parents ever owned having them, even waaaaay back to the one we had in England, where the turn signals were these lighted things that came out of the sides of the car like little yellow ears. And if, for some reason, they weren't working, the driver stuck his arm out the window and signalled--straight out for a left turn, up for right and down for stopping. I'm not sure of the reason for that last, except that it may have been a hold-over from before brake lights. Sometimes the passenger would be enlisted to signal--"Roll down your window and signal a right turn--I don't think the driver behind us has seen my arm up here!"

I'm pretty sure that the practice of including turn signals as standard equipment has lapsed. I know that teaching the hand signals has. Besides, if you can't summon the energy to flip a lever on the steering column, how in the world are you going to roll down a window and put your arm out into the weather?

There is a whole new system of signalling. Drivers just pull to the side of the lane they're in, to demonstrate which way they are going to turn. This is sometimes accompanied by slowing down quickly. Oxymoron, I know, but I've seen it done. Recently. Frequently. Do these people want to get hit?

The most extreme situation is where the driver in the far left lane on the highway suddenly realizes that his exit is coming up right NOW! Never mind the sign that said XXXX Exit 2 mi. Or the one that said XXXX Exit 3/4 mi. Or even the one that said XXXX Exit 1/4 mi. Nope. Our driver has missed all of those, and has to get off right away. Over he comes, no time for signals; it's either duck or die.

Maybe he has one of those conditions where he has to get to a potty on very short notice. If I suffered from that, I'd probably never get on the highway at all, but do all my travelling on the access road!

There are still signs all over our highways that say "Drive Friendly;" relics of a past waste of tax dollars, no doubt. Never mind the bad grammar; the best joke I ever saw was one of those signs that had been peppered with buckshot!