Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Fayette driving one of life's lesser charms

By JENNIFER GAYNOR

Nothing makes me descend into a murderous rage more quickly than driving around Fayette County. Between sitting at red lights when there is no car around for miles, passing a tortoise-like SUV to see a soccer mom chatting into her cell phone or turned around yelling at the kids, and keeping watch for the infamous PTC cops, nothing aggravates me more.

Since we're supposedly the richest county in Georgia, why don't we have all sensor-controlled traffic lights? Why are we still hindered by the archaic, inefficient timed lights? Maybe it's a conspiracy between the PTC brass and the medical practitioners: They know that the finger-drumming, mind-numbing sitting at useless stoplights too long will raise our blood pressures and cause ulcers. If only we could get sensor lights, driving around town would be infinitely easier.

As for the left-lane/right-lane dilemma, I have to say I agree with Cal Beverly. What part of "slower traffic keep right" do people not understand? I understand wanting to avoid speeding, especially with the mercenary PTC traffic cops around here. But follow the law in the right lane, because others are in a hurry and are willing to risk it, if you'd only move out of the way.

Yet another aggravation: Failing to use one's signals. Few things are more frustrating than waiting to merge onto a road for a car to pass, only to see that car turn suddenly mere feet away from you. If only the driver had let you know he or she was turning, you could have merged ten times! But no, it apparently requires too much effort to extend the arm and use the turn signal.

Worse still is when people do use their turn signal once they're in the turn lane. As if the huge arrow and separate lane weren't good enough indicators. That information would have been a little more useful before you went ahead and got out of my way.

But nothing, nothing, makes my blood boil faster than driving on Ga. Highway 74. In fact, I take the long route through Redwine Road, Robinson Road, and Peachtree Parkway these days to avoid growing an ulcer or losing my sanity.

It's not bad enough that there are about 500 lights, all tripped up by one car that could easily have slipped into the oncoming traffic. Then and this is would be funnier if it weren't so infuriating there are the bicyclists on one of the busiest roads in Fayette County.

You have to swerve into the other lane to avoid hitting them, so if there is oncoming traffic (and there always is) you've got to slow down to a crawl until it's safe to continue. Forgive my insensitivity, but I don't care if you and your bike need special terrain to practice properly. You're inconveniencing and endangering tons of motorists because you just have to ride your bike on 74, of all roads.

But the trucks are the worst. They often cut you off, even when no one is behind you, and don't even have the courtesy (or maybe the ability) to speed up. These road hogs take about two hours to accelerate, so every light you're stopped at behind one robs you of time and sanity. You would try to pass them, but there's always oncoming traffic so you can't.

Basically, driving around Fayette County, especially PTC, really makes me appreciate this great place less. I love living here, but I think we can all agree that the building needs to stop. With every new neighborhood come more people, and more drivers to crowd the roads and cause accidents. I realize what a wonderful, safe, friendly community this is and completely understand the desire to move here. But scores of new residents in an already overpopulated place just takes away the town's quality of life from everyone.

Crowded or not, PTC would be a lot more pleasant place if the people who wave, smile, and greet one another on the golf cart paths would extend the same courtesy and thoughtfulness when they're behind the wheel.

[Jennifer Gaynor of Fayetteville is a college student on summer break from UGA.]