That's...not how you make a left turn....

[Kogarashi]

I still can't figure out how the car in question got into this situation in the first place....

So I was driving down one of the four-lane roads here. Two lanes each way, and protected lefts available. I'm tootling along in the right-hand lane when, up ahead, I see a most curious sight at one of the lights (which is green for straight traffic, and no light for left turns meaning they must yield to oncoming traffic and turn when it's safe).

I see a car sitting in the intersection, pointed the same direction as me, sitting at an angle in the inside oncoming lane. Trying to make a left turn and holding up a line of cars because the outside oncoming lane isn't stopping for them.

How do you get into such a position? I mean, if the protected left came first, why didn't they complete the turn before oncoming traffic got their green? If they didn't get the protected left first, why'd they start turning before they could complete their turn? I'm stumped.

I'm also surprised the oncoming cars held up by this bozo weren't honking.

[blas]

I may be a little confused here, but are you saying the protected arrow had passed and there was still someone halfway into oncoming traffic?

If so, it's a daily occurance here.

Most lights around here are old school and not protected, so you get people that just can't sit still and are always halfway out, ready to shoot a quick left turn.

What chaps me MOST is people down by the mall area, where there ARE left turn arrows.....when the arrow isn't on and it's just green and you must yield, people get adament that they are NOT going to wait and get halfway out into oncoming traffic, which is still flowing rapidly, it turns yellow...then red....and everyone feels sorry for moron and lets them go left on red.

[Kogarashi]

We've only been here just over a month, so I'm not entirely sure on the timing. Either the protected left had come and gone, or it hadn't come yet. Either way, this car was completely blocking one of the two oncoming lanes, while waiting for the other to clear so they could finish a left-hand turn they never should have started (since they obviously couldn't complete it safely).

Used to see that all the time in CT, but I'm actually surprised to see it around these parts since people here seem to be more responsible behind the wheel. (Except when it snows, but that's a different matter.)

[blas]

I would assume the arrow had gone and they thought they'd make it.

There's so many "close calls" in the older areas of town where I live because of no protected left turns and impatient, ballsy people.