Traffic congestion: are you helping or hindering? Published Jan. 10, 2008 By Dave ONeil 6 AMW Safety Office MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- We see it everyday, congestion at the front gate. Everyone is jockeying for position. Which is the shortest and fastest lane? Am I going to get to work on time? Hurry up, buddy, I haven't got all day! Let's try this lane. Maybe I should have looked before I changed lanes. Did I cross a solid white line? I'm in the biggest hurry, everyone should wait for me! Does your experience at the gate ever go like this? I am sure it happens everyday, we just don't realize it. Then, a couple of hours later, we sit back and wonder how we ever got through the gate unscathed, and without hitting someone else. I am talking specifically about the "traffic circle" at the Dale Mabry Gate. I see it everyday, cars changing lanes as they move between the traffic circle and the gate area. The problem is, at least half of those cars changing lanes do not look first. Lucky for them, they poor individual that they just cut off saw the errant car coming, and was able to avoid the knucklehead. If you take a second to look, the lanes out of the traffic circle towards the gate are painted solid white, which means they are not supposed to be crossed. There is a reason for this; it's to avoid the inevitable. I realize that at some point; due to traffic back ups, that it will be necessary to cross the solid white line, but not while moving to the gate at speed, just because you see a shorter line! Everyone has somewhere to be, and no one has priority over the other. Your job is no more important than the next guy's, and it's certainly not worth risking anyone's life, just because you're late, or just an impatient driver. If you are running late, it's your fault, not the guy you just cut off. Be patient, and wait your turn! Most of the cases I have seen are from people who know how the traffic circle works, but for those of you who don't, it's quite simple, really. You're probably asking yourself, who doesn't know how a traffic circle works, all you have to do is follow the signs. Here's a news flash for you, signs are not the most read items in the world. I have safety reports, and have even seen cars that have cut through the traffic circle backwards. Now I don't know if they were in such a hurry that they couldn't spend the extra seven tenths of a second to go around the proper way, couldn't read the plainly visible signs, or are just stupid. Anyway, when utilizing a traffic circle, the traffic always flows to the right, and the traffic in the circle has the right-of-way. DO NOT TURN LEFT INTO A TRAFFIC CIRCLE. But I see it happen? Last, but not the least important. Parking is a premium; this is not news to anyone. Parking rules are bent all the time just because there is no where else to go. This is compounded by parking areas that are not marked. Some parking lots cannot be marked, because of the nature of it's surface. Whether there are lines or not, there are still rules that have to be followed and a painted line is not required in order to follow these rules, just a little common sense. Just this morning, I observed a parking lot that was so full, if one of the vehicles in the lot were to catch fire; emergency personnel and emergency vehicles would not be able to get to the fire. This means that vehicle is gone! Plus, vehicles are parked so close to each other, if one was to catch fire, it would probably take more vehicles with it, if not several. Wouldn't that be a site? Worse yet, what if someone needed medical attention and emergency services couldn't get there? We can replace our cars and trucks, but not our fellow workers. Next time you are getting ready to come to work, think before you just bum rush the gate, cut someone off, and park in a manner that creates a hazard to not only your fellow workers, but to yourself!