Sep 9, 2015 2 min read

I guess the rules of driving in Pennsylvania changed and I didn’t get the proverbial e-mail.

You no longer have to use turn signals, even though every car manufactured seems to have them. Just brake abruptly when you have to make a right or left turn and hope the driver in back of you gets the hint.

You don’t have to really stop at those annoying stop signs. Simply attach your vehicle as close as possible to a vehicle that did stop at a stop sign and trail the lead vehicle when it has a clear path. Hey, technically, you’ve stopped – just 25 feet from where the sign is.

And you don’t have to yield at those pesky triangular signs. What does “yield” mean anyway? Simply merge onto the highway at warp speed and expect the vehicles driving in the lane you need to enter to levitate out of your way! Heck, you may have a larger vehicle, so who cares about those inferior drivers who have smaller, older or less expensive vehicles! Honk at those ignorant fools who have the nerve not to move over for you! Let them slow down and brake!

And those solid and dashed lines on most entrance lanes? Don’t pay attention to them! Probably PennDOT was running low on paint and started the dashes. Enter the highway when it’s convenient for you.

Don’t even pay attention to the ridiculous notion of keeping a few car lengths between you and the car in front of you for safety. If you catch a driver doing this, simply turn and fill that safety zone with your vehicle! That way, you can drive bumper-to-bumper at 70 mph! Cool! And text and make phone calls at any time!

My point is that there are more and more drivers who choose to ignore driving rules or who do not even know what the rules are. I guess that’s why insurance companies have a lot of business.

My advice: slow down and use common sense. Know the rules and be courteous to fellow drivers.

I guess I’m old-fashioned but I like the old rules better.

Dave Saniga

Cokeburg