Cortland is facing a pandemic of the inability to use a turn signal and drive at least half the speed limit.
There is not a single drive that I can take without being rage baited. My less-than-three minute commute on the way to class always entails a person not knowing how a four-way stop works while having others unaware they actually have to share the road. Poor students have to attempt to cross the road like they’re in “Crossy Road” while cars come steamrolling toward stop signs. It is a living nightmare to drive or even be around other drivers in Cortland.
The inability to use a turn signal correctly is probably the biggest issue. FYI, the turn signal indicator is located MOST OFTEN on the LEFT side of the steering wheel. I promise it is not hard to find nor learn how to properly use it.
If you need to make a left turn and simply press the brakes without any indicator turned on, I am going to honk you. Point, blank, period. You have no idea how many brain cells I lose when a car just simply stops in the middle of the road. It is dangerous and annoying. It is not enough to use your indicator, if you somehow manage to use it wrong.
Make sure your indicator correlates with the actual direction you’d be turning. The amount of times I have seen people indicate turning but continuing to go straight through an intersection is way too high. It is not hard to glance down and check, it even makes a sound when the indicator is on. You are not the only person on the road and we can’t read your mind on which direction you actually intend to go in.
Besides the lack of skill in making sure the indicator is used correctly, there is also an issue of parallel parking. There are people taking twenty minutes and thirty re-tries to park their car while fifteen cars and buses line up in standstill traffic. This then leads to cars going on the wrong side of the road to pass as other cars come the opposite way. It is okay to take your time, really there is no rush. Yet, if you are taking more than three attempts, I’d suggest parking in one of the commuter lots. It will save us both the stress.
The speed limit throughout Cortland is pretty consistent, with a generous 30-45 mph. Therefore, why are we doing 15 in a 30 or 65 in a 45? The lack of balance is frightening. This is even worse for students that are unable to look back and forth before crossing the road. Going under the speed limit is better than going over, but yet the drivers of Cortland prefer to go over in the worst spots. There is no reason to be speeding down the hill as a crowd of students are crossing the street.
No one expects a perfect driver on the road but there is an expectation of safety and common courtesy. Following the rules of the road apply to both, the universities roads and the town’s roads. Therefore, the speed limit is not a suggestion and a turn indicator isn’t there for a flash of decoration.
Also, if you are going to parallel park, do it like you’ve done it before. Until everyone truly understands and practices the CORRECT ways of driving, my commute to Cortland will continue to feel like a game for survival.