IS it just me or have other motorists in the Cape Town metropole noticed the growing trend of flicker happy motorists who signal the opposite of what they intend as they approach and round a traffic circle?
It goes like this: the perp is always on the inside lane (double lane road) and just before entering the circle, activates their right hand indicator, logically, showing adjacent traffic that they intend to turn right – third exit and notwithstanding that they cause danger and confusion as they are in the wrong turning lane to make a right turn at the circle.
But wait, there’s more. Halfway around the circle they indicate left, and effectively drive straight on.
I can’t say that I’ve carried out an exhaustive study of this practice but have witnessed it and been shocked at least a dozen times. Being of enquiring mind, I’ve sought to characterise the driver – is it gender or race specific or is it the type of vehicle they drive?
Not as I’ve been able to establish – equally men or women, race non-specific but I have noticed that they tend to drive compact white cars!
Now maybe I’m on to something. Could it be that they are trying to demonstrate that they too want to be noticed and taken seriously among the millions of white, faceless vehicles on the road, or is it an extension of the South African predilection of over emphasis of our language – “very unique” or “baie cute” – to mix the languages?
Perhaps they spot a more expensive, zooty sports car in the outside lane and – is it an inferiority complex reaction – give him or her a scare, like a prank?
The mystery deepens and perhaps we shall never know but it is a particularly dangerous practice especially if they intend turning right from the wrong lane.
I’m sure we can all recount the loo-loo’s we see on the roads but mine (for now) is the driver with GP plates – white compact car (of course), middle of the day, approaching the traffic circle on the inside lane. At the point of no return, he, and it was a he, indicated right, violently swung into the right hand lane, then half way around the circle, signalled left and took the first exit. Phew!
Drunkenness aside, I put it down to all those ‘Vaalies who are unfamiliar with traffic circles up there, they seem to prefer four-way stops and get confused with road architecture that keeps the traffic moving and believe that if they get their first they have right of way – which doesn’t necessarily apply at traffic circles where you give way to traffic on the right..
Never the less, I think I’m getting a persecution complex – does this happen to anybody else?
Eish.
