green doesn't always mean go

Recently I have noticed that drivers are having difficulty with this concept. They are running red lights and not in the usual sense. Instead of stomping on the gas on the yellow light, these people have been sitting at the red and go because they see a green light - the green arrow for the cars turning left!

I had this happen twice in one day while I was up north. And at an intersection not far from the house in LA, it happens frequently. It is so scary, not to mention dangerous.

The really bizarre thing is that these drivers, even though I suspect they realize they have made a mistake, they just keep going. This is the part that makes it so dangerous. It means that they are driving right into traffic that is turning left into them. In one case I saw a truck and the car following it, both go through the red light.

I get that you could see a green light, and think it was time to go. But it should only take a split second to realize that it is not a green light, but a green arrow. Yes? Well, maybe not.

Luckily the people turning on the green arrow seem to proceed with caution. Thankfully I have never seen an accident, but I can't see how they aren't happening. It makes me almost not want to drive. I don't know what to do aside from proceed with extreme caution.

on the night stand :: Vunce Upon A Time