One Final Slap In The Face

The setting: Xenia, OH -- the intersection of W. Main St. and King St.  I can't begin to count the number of times I've had to stop for a red light at that intersection while driving on Main St. when there was no cross traffic.  It's likely that in years (or perhaps decades) past, there was a legitimate need for a traffic light at that intersection.  But in the five-plus years I have personally been passing King St. on Main St. on a more or less regular basis, very rare has been the time when traffic patterns have warranted a traffic light there.  In fact, I'd said in the past that being stopped by that traffic light almost seemed like an insult.  So several weeks ago, when a road sign was erected stating that the traffic signal would be removed on June 12, 2017, I was very happy to see that sign.

As my schedule developed, it turned out that I had to drive down Main St. and pass through that intersection at about 7:15 on the morning of June 12th. As I was about a block away from King St., the light was green, and I figured that it was still too early in the day for the signal to have been removed.  I also thought that perhaps--just perhaps--I might avoid getting stopped by that light the one final time it would have the opportunity to stop me.

But it was not to be.  The light turned yellow when I was about a half block away from King St., and I had to stop for the light one last time.  The entire time the light was red for me, there was absolutely no cross traffic.  When I saw the light at the next intersection about a block ahead turn green with a left turn arrow--the intersection where I would need to turn left--I may have experienced a very, very, slight temptation to just go through the King St. intersection against the red light, but I had also noticed in my rear view mirror that the vehicle behind mine was being driven by one of the city's finest.  So as I sat at that intersection and waited for that blasted red light at King St. to turn green for me one last time, I also looked at the light a block ahead and hoped that it would stay green long enough for me to get through it once I had my (hopefully) final opportunity to simply sit idle and take in the ambiance of the Main St.-King St. intersection. Finally the light turned green, just a few moments before the light at the next intersection turned yellow, meaning I'd have to wait for about another minute and a half before I could make my left turn.  And as timing would have it, once I turned left, traffic patterns were such that I got stopped at three of the next four traffic lights after I made my turn.

It was one final slap in the face from that unneeded traffic light--one final insult.  I haven't had to drive through that intersection again since yesterday morning; I hope that traffic signal was actually taken down as scheduled yesterday.  I have one final thing to say to it: good riddance.