red means STOP!!!...

Growing up I learned very quickly that a red light meant you were to stop. I think its a pretty easy concept to grasp, at least I did until we moved here to Pittsburgh. Now, I'm not saying that I'm the greatest driver, I do have a bit of road rage that I picked up while living in VA and fighting DC traffic, but I do try to be careful and cautious of other drives on the road. And knowing that there is another "life" in my hands has slowed me down considerably.

So many times since moving here, Nathan and I have been sitting at a red light and watched someone drive right through it. We've been coming up to green lights and all of a sudden someone comes flying from the right or left (with a red light) and goes right through the intersection. I was at a red light one day and about died laughing when out of nowhere the car beside me just took off. Luckily there weren't any other cars coming or turning, but it was so random and the woman who pulled up beside me after that looked over at me and shrugged. Nathan also has been witness to the delayed red light runner. While waiting for a green turn signal at the stop light by our apartment the other lights turned red and he said he could have counted to at least 4 (one one thousand, etc.) and a car came out of nowhere from beside him and ran right through the light.

We've determined that here in the Burgh traffic signals, and signs for that matter, are optional. It was again revealed to me today as I headed out to Target this morning. I was sitting at the light by our apartment and it turned green. There wasn't another car at the intersection, so I started making my left hand turn. As I started to make my way into the far right hand lane (the slow lane) and straighten out my car a huge black car came out of nowhere and passed me on the right... and by nowhere I seriously mean I couldn't tell you where this car came from. It was truly by the grace of God that I was spared, because I was pulling into the right lane when the lady snuck around me. I eventually ended up passing her after she slowed down and it was an older lady, but my goodness. My only guess is that she ran the red light! She was going so fast there wasn't any way that she could have come down the hill and turned onto the main street. It just blew my mind and my heart was racing.

We choose to obey the lights, signals, and signs here and for those of you who have visited us, we've already told you about the traffic up here, as for the rest of you...you've been warned. In Pittsburgh, red lights don't always means stop!