I grew up in the St. Paul, Minnesota area where you always locked your car, even in the garage and sometimes even then your car got stolen. My childhood home was broken into once and ransacked which was very unsettling. I moved to Mitchell in August of 1982 and the habits of small town people, relatively speaking, shocked me then and still surprise me today all these years later.
My first winter in Mitchell I went to Randall’s grocery store (now Coborn’s) on a blustery day. Randall’s was located then in the north mall where the Dollar Store is now. There were at least fifty cars running in the parking lot keeping warm on that bitterly cold winter day while their drivers were inside shopping. “Wow, what a car thieves’ paradise!” I thought.
Several driving habits that Mitchell motorists exhibit on a daily basis will actually get you killed in a major metropolitan area by an impatient armed irate driver. Here they are in no particular order:
Leaving a car length or more between automobiles in the drive-thru line: You may feel this is courteous to the driver ahead of you and even desirable for you (not having your car’s nose in the exhaust of the vehicle in front of you) but it is maddening to those behind you, especially to that car that can almost – but not quite – reach the speaker to order their food. My friends in the Cities tell me about fist fights between people waiting in the drive up and even damage like keying a vehicle’s paint job because the driver ahead didn’t have the wit to pull up and give those behind the space to order.
Sitting on a two lane street with two cars facing each other gabbing away blocking traffic: This is typical small town behavior. I’ve been behind such a scenario in South Dakota towns where the two were so engrossed in conversation that I eventually backed up and took an alternative route. One of my college friends is a Minnesota Highway Patrol Officer and says this is one of her favorite tickets to issue because this behavior causes such angst to other motorists and is one of the main causes of assault in road rage incidents. With cell phones being ubiquitous now, drive on and call them later.
Not pulling into the left turn middle lane until the last minute: This is a significant cause of accidents in some areas of the country. That middle lane is there for that purpose, signal and use it so folks behind you don’t feel like you’re going to continue on in a straight line. The auto repair bill you save may be your own.
Stopping for a green light: A friend of mine I’m still in contact with from high school told me about a motorist in the Cities who stopped for a green light because it was counting down and the red pedestrian sign was blinking telling those on foot not to cross the street. The car that stopped prematurely was rammed repeatedly from behind by a motorist who felt that a green light does indeed mean “go”. In Mitchell it is a little dicey knowing when to stop properly. Some green lights in town count down then give you a little time yet while still showing green before turning yellow while others just jump from green to yellow instantaneously once the countdown is over.
Not going the speed limit: There are reasons to slow down; weather, small animals in the street, bouncing balls that suddenly appear in your path, young children playing the front yard -will they or won’t they dash into the street – etc. However, when the posted speed limit says 25 or 30 mph and you’re idling along at 10 or 15 mph don’t be surprised if the person behind you gets testy. You may not be in a hurry but the person behind you isn’t a jerk for wanting to obey the posted speed limit and get to where they’re going.
Driving is a privilege and a skill that not everyone has in the same capacity or quality. Remember the rules of the road and be courteous to the folks behind you and when you’re in a big city remember that drivers there are intolerant and unforgiving.