Setting the Tone for the Day

Some relevant sections of New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law:

VTL § 1110(a):  "Every person shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device applicable to him placed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer, subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this title."

VTL § 1102. "No person shall fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any police officer or flagperson or other person duly empowered to regulate traffic."

There is this one 4-way intersection not too far from my home.  One of the streets comes in at an odd angle, and it is a cul-de-sac with about 9 homes, plus a driveway that accesses the rear lot of a business establishment.  This street gets a very short green light, and the cycle of the traffic light skips this street every other time.  I have never timed it, but I would guess that in a three minute period, this street might get 15 or 20 seconds.  It is rare that more than 3 cars are waiting for a green to exit this street on to the main highway.  The residents of this quiet street apparently are quite content with the arrangement.

But today, there was a crew doing some work on the main highway, so they routed eastbound traffic through the business's parking lot, around to the back driveway, and onto this street.  And a flag crew (two flagmen and one flagwoman) directed the traffic through the intersection.

Now, according to the two relevant sections of New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law, whenever there is a duly authorized person directing traffic, the duly authorized person trumps the traffic light.  Indeed, this is the law in most if not all states.

So what happened?  I was in the line of cars that was directed through the parking lot of the business, and through that intersection.  And the delay would likely have not been too significant -- Except for the two shmucks who insisted on waiting until the light turned green, while disregarding the flagwoman's directives to drive through the intersection and onto the main highway.

What should have taken four minutes at worst took about nine or ten minutes.

And that was about 10 AM.  I shall not now detail the other frustrations, caused by various and sundry stupid idiots, that punctuated my day today.

Devaluing Our Citizenship:

As a 3rd Generation American, I do not (and am very ill-postured to) oppose immigration.  I encourage those who would wish to become a contributing member of America's diverse society to immigrate here and become citizens, just as all four of my grandparents did.

But citizenship should have privileges.  Like voting.

But now, some members of the New York City Council are trying -- with a real chance of success -- to devaluate the privileges of citizenship by allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections.

There are many, many obvious problems with this, not the least of which is the potential for voting fraud.  If the same voting machines are used at the same time for City Council and Gubernatorial and Congressional elections, how will they ensure that the aliens only vote for the local offices and not the state or national ones?

And will the suburban municipalities on Long Island, where I live, do a "Monkey See, Monkey Do" and pass similar ordinances?

I can go on and on, but it is past my bedtime, we have busy day tomorrow, and I need my sleep.  I'm sure, dear reader, that you can continue this rant in my absence.  Exodus of wealth from New York.  Corruption.  Disrespect for those, such as my grandparents 100 years ago, and some of my students now, who qualified for and earned their citizenship.  The problems, as I said, are quite obvious.