One of the first sayings that I heard when I moved to PEI after I got my licence was that when people arrived off the ferry (no bridge at that time), there was a sign that said “Welcome To PEI, Blinkers Merely A Suggestion.”
For the many years that I’ve been driving around our beautiful Prince Edward Island, I can tell you that there is a lot of truth to that statement! Now, I’m not just going to rant on about some particular incident as I realize that no one is perfect, and everyone has their bad moments when they’re driving. Moments of.. say, absentmindedness (definitely my big word of the day). However, a few months ago I noticed every day for an entire week there was a time in which I nearly got hit or witnessed some sort of crazy-ass driving which almost caused an accident.
What is it about this intersection that says "Run Red Lights.. It's Fine!"
I noticed things like drivers blatantly running red lights. This was pretty obvious since I had a green light and was about to step on the accelerator, thenZOOM!!!… some driver crosses right in front of me (usually at the intersection of University Ave and Kent). I really love it when drivers whom are making a left turn on to a one way street always go to the far right lane, THEN they don’t put the blinker on when they go back into the left lane which they were SUPPOSED to turn into in the first place! GRRRRR. Of course there are the lovely drivers whom don’t use their blinkers when stopped and are making a right turn at an intersection but of course they are waiting for people to cross the road (the only proper thing they do), so the drivers behind them have no idea what they are waiting for.. again.. blinkers optional.
Oh, and speaking of pedestrians.. how about the thousands of people that think there’s a cross walk right in front of the Tim Hortons and Conferedation Court Mall Entrance on Kent St and think the drivers are supposed to stop for them like they have the right away? Personally, I try NOT to stop for these people. It may sound rude, but there are crosswalks for a reason, if these people are too lazy to wait for an opening or too lazy to walk to the corner to cross, yeah I’m not stopping for them.. Seriously, if I was to hit someone crossing the road right there, and they kicked up a big fuss and tried to sue or something, I can guarantee it would be deemed ‘not the drivers fault’ as it wasn’t at a cross walk (I fully expect to get some feedback from this comment by the way 
. I realize most people in Charlottetown haven’t been to New York City, personally I have.. and I know that if I stepped off the sidewalk for an instant too far.. it was pretty much suicide… drivers do NOT slow down in the Big Apple, nor should they have to if there is no cross walk. It’s called jaywalking folks, either wait for a complete opening, or get some exercise and walk to the cross walk.
On the flip side of that you have the people that don’t stop for pedestrians no matter how far they are across a cross walk. The worst area I experience is right out front of the K-ROCK/OCEAN storefront studio at the Tech Center on University Ave. After I get my Robins coffee and start across the street at the crosswalk, I’m almost half way across, and notice the oncoming car has no desire to slow down. I have to stop and let them go.. this… infuriates me! I swear I want to put a Kettlebell through their window, man it pisses me off. One of my favorite tricks is to fake a stumbling just as they are about to cross in front of me.. that really freaks them out. Try it.. it’s cool… (don’t really fall though.. that would suck)
See Those Arrows?? They Do Not Mean Two-Way Traffic
Anyhow, for about a month straight I was driving home on my lunch breaks and would notice some very apparent bad driving decision. I won’t call them idiot drivers as that seems too harsh. Well, I did call them idiots and other things while I was in the car, but we’ve all done something stupid at some point in time.. (don’t get me started on speeding tickets when I was a kid). So I don’t want to place a general ‘idiot’ label on these people, but why can’t they use some general common sense and some caution is beyond me. Oh, as I was saying, so for about a month I was going home for lunch and noticing some sort of bad driving, and it actually got to the point where I mentioned it to Liz.. and unbelievably the very next day as I was driving home (I usually go right up Kent St. to Holland College), I met someone driving the opposite way down Kent St!! (Yes.. it’s one way) Of course once they noticed me directly in front of them at the intersection at Hunters, they very kindly made a right turn onto Prince St right next to Hunters and went on their way, *sigh*. Where are the cops when you need them? This particular gentleman was about 90 years old and couldn’t see above the steering wheel.. I’m sure he knew he was in the wrong right?…. right??
Anyhow, as it’s Halloween Day and all.. try to drive safe out there folks.. leave your cell phones in your purse or pocket.. and just enjoy the PEI landscapes and weather, oh.. and don’t forget about that blinker.. the people behind you will appreciate it 