Road Etiquette 101: Rules For Driving In The Permian Basin
I mean this should be a no-brainer but some people need a friendly reminder from time to time of the rules of the road both legal and some unspoken. A little common courtesy and common sense goes a long way. Here are some commandments for driving in our part of the world.
UNSPOKEN RULES FOR DRIVING IN THE PERMIAN BASIN:
Get in the Lane You Need When Turning on Another Road - If you know you are going to need to get in the lane next to the left turn lane and you are making a right turn, THEN DO IT!! Don't hold up traffic trying to signal and move into the lane you need once you have made the turn.
Use the Acceleration Lane Properly - Some people need to know what an acceleration lane is, that is the lane going from the service road to the Super Slab (i.e. the main highway). This lane is where you accelerate to the speed of the highway so the people on the highway don't have to place all the stuff in their back seat under their front seat.
Don't Bother Being Polite Less Than 1000 Feet From a Traffic Light - You know these people, they stop traffic and give space to a person wanting to turn left out of a parking lot onto a REALLY busy street with several lanes like 42nd or Wadley, while no one else is going to do the same on the other 6 lanes of the street so here they are stuck in front of the polite driver and you are behind the polite driver seeing all of the city pass you by because someone wanted to be nice.
Do Not Expect to Merge When You Saw the Construction Sign When Everyone Else Did - This is for those who want to get a better place in line when they notice a lane has been closed off for construction or just closed off for no apparent reason.
Really? Don't Gun It When the Light Turns Green - Unless you are over 70 like Granny Gottrocks, you have no excuse not to be up to the speed limit in less than 5 seconds when the light turns green. It's bad enough we have to sit at the light for what seems like an eternity around here, so when the light turns green, act like you are Denny Hamlin and you are seeing the green flag at Daytona.
Do Not Cut Off the Others on the Road - In case you were not listening back when you were in Drivers Ed in high school, you are not supposed to merge over in front of the person you are passing until you see both headlights in your rearview mirror. This is best practiced when passing an oilfield truck that is much bigger than you in your Smart Car and can flatten you like a beer can if they so choose.
Things That Polite People Say All the Time
Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins
