OPEN LETTER: Please Stop Doing This At Stop Signs
Let's be honest, we all have our pet peeves when we get behind the wheel. We also have things we do while driving that annoy other drivers, especially if you are running late or in a rush. These things aside, I still have one plea to drivers everywhere - and even pedestrians in some instances.
I have noticed it before but it has become much more noticeable since I joined a running group earlier this year. It all has to do with stop signs and simply put, I am begging people to please follow the rules of the road and throw out trying to be nice.
It bothers me so much when you get a stop sign and a car pulls up and then you wave them to go because you are catching your breath and instead, they signal for you to go. I know in this case they are trying to be nice but it takes more time to signal back and forth for a minute than for the car to just go!
Of course, this does not mean that a car should blow through a stop sign or do a rolling stop or try to go when someone is crossing the road. This is just for instances when it is a car at a stop sign and you and they signal for you to go instead.
This has happened to me so many times since I started running in downtown Duluth and in Canal Park! I know this is a "Minnesota nice" type of thing but there is nothing more annoying than when you signal for a car to go and they signal for you to go.
Please, just go when it is your turn. If a pedestrian is signaling for you to go, just go. I love nice people and I love seeing people trying to do something kind, but let's all save ourself some time and just go when it is our turn. Thank you in advance. Ha!
There are many other things we can do while on the road to be kind and safe, like putting our phone away and following all the right laws. Let's do that and skip the niceties. Plus, if you see a pedestrian or runner and they are telling you to go, just do it. They probably need that few second break, speaking from personal experience.