What is that lane you drive on before entering the Interstate and what is it for? Why do people stop turning right on a green light? These are things I witnessed this week driving around Sioux Falls.

Not Turning Right On Green

For anyone who regularly enters Louise Avenue from 59th Street, you have no doubt seen people stop on green lights when they don't need to. I've been battling this intersection a lot this week. Those coming from the west and turning south will often stop if someone is coming from the opposite direction and also turning south. Those coming from the east will also wait when a vehicle coming from the west has its right turn signal on.

Herein lies the problem. Both cars could go at the same time because there are not one, not two, but three lanes that can be turned into. And since South Dakota Codified Laws 32-26-17 and 32-26-18 specify that you must stay all the way to the right if turning right and all the way to the left if turning left, we can all go at the same time! Of course, those going straight east through that intersection must be yielded to, so I don't fault the driver ahead of me stays put when that right-turning car doesn't use its blinker, which is among the most Sioux Fallsian of driving faux pas.

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Why Do So Many Drive 40 mph on Interstate On-Ramps?

Today I was entering southbound I-229 at Cliff Avenue. A Dodge pickup had aggressively made a fast right turn to get onto the on-ramp ahead of me as I waited to make my left turn.

After getting on the on-ramp, I accelerated at a normal pace so that I would reach the vicinity of 60 to 65 miles per hour when I got to traffic. The Dodge blocked me from this because he got to 40 miles per hour halfway up the ramp and apparently thought that was spicy enough.

Once he cleared the point where I could merge, I turned on my blinker, changed lanes, and accelerated. He then accelerated with me, not liking that I was passing. I floored it until I hit 70 to see if he just happened to be accelerating as I was or if he was being a petulant child. He was definitely being the latter. He kept his foot on the floor and took off.

If he was in such a hurry, why was he going 40 on the on-ramp?

Ten Commandments of Sioux Falls

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