The Law

When John and I first moved to Philadelphia, we used to laugh at the signs posted above traffic lights saying "WAIT FOR GREEN". We thought, "How silly! Shouldn't the red light be enough to tell us not to go?". We also learned that stop signs were "stop-tional" as most people practice more of a pause then a stop. As we ventured out in those first months, I used to obsess about knowing what the speed limit was in different areas so as to avoid getting a ticket, but soon realized that no one drives the posted speed limit pretty much anywhere in the city.

It didn't take long to adapt (when in Rome, right?), though I do maintain a certain level of safety (we don't run red lights while blaring our horn to warn others, for example). Of course, I don't carry these driving habits back to Oregon with us when we go for a visit--or at least I thought I didn't. When Oscar and I were in Oregon this spring, we turned right at a red light without stopping--anyway, that's what the ticket that came in the mail a few weeks later said. I couldn't imagine it--surely I had stopped! Or at least made a healthy pause. And no one was coming anyway, and there was no sign that said you couldn't turn right on red. Unthinkable! I planned to contest it, though this could've been challenging from across the country.

In the meantime, I noticed on the ticket a website through which I could watch a video of the "infraction" for myself. I expected to see the car stopping at the light, maybe too far into the crosswalk, but stopping anyway.  Instead, after watching this evidence, I had no choice but to get out the checkbook. Then I said to Johnny, "You know, they really should have a sign that says you MUST stop at a red light--ridiculous!"

Clearly, we've been living in Philadelphia for too long.

(If you have nothing better to do, you can see me breaking the law here. Just enter citation # 0605711R, license plate 262CSG, and city code SRWDOR.)