I live in Port Dickinson NY where exiting onto the adjacent highway is a challenge. Old State Road, a small two-lane road intersects the divided four-lane Brandywine highway at a traffic light and even though you can see oncoming traffic for the better part of three-quarters of-a-mile, a sign prohibits turning right on red. I routinely ignore this prohibition, much to the consternation of my good friend Dave, who is a faithful rules-follower, believing that the fragility of the social order itself depends upon the bulk of humanity obeying rules and following the signs. He constantly lectures me about my cavalier attitude about “rules and signs” and I regularly tease him about his blind obedience to them.

The Brandywine was designed and built over 50-years ago before modern traffic engineering and design standards were conceived. Today, a 90-degree intersection of slow to fast traffic patterns is considered unsafe. Modern speed-differential intersections are either avoided entirely or on-off-ramps and traffic-circles are used, but in this case, we are still enjoying the old and dangerous method.

The stop-line marked on the pavement at this intersection is about 15-feet from the highway. When I approach this, I regularly ignore that line, drive beyond it to the edge of the intersection, so I can better see to my left, checking for oncoming traffic before I ignore that sign and turn right.

Good thing I did that yesterday.

As I gazed up the highway, I observed a white full-sized Ford pick-up truck approaching at a high rate of speed, changing lanes in order to turn right onto the road where I was sitting. As the truck careened around the corner, narrowly missing me, it ran up onto the lawn of an adjacent house, hit a pole, then another, before coming to rest on the second homes lawn, tires spinning and dirt flying as the driver tried to extricate the vehicle from the severely grooved up turf. Had I been sitting at the stop line, like a good little soldier of obedience, I would have been killed by this asshole.

Because I ignore stupid rules, I’m alive today.

Thank God it wasn’t Dave in that moment, minding his own business and faithfully playing by the rules, but dead nevertheless. When it doesn’t make sense, when it’s stupid or ill-thought-out, use your God-given intelligence and reasoning and ignore those things that might hurt or kill you in the process. It’s a stupid, fucking sign. Ignore it and live or relish your blind obedience towards your own demise.

“Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.”

— Harry Day