Dear Casper: Please Be Patient of Vehicles Attempting to Turn Left

In the aftermath of Winter Storm Xylia, driving conditions in and around Casper have been less than ideal. With that in mind, drivers need to be aware of the dangers and be a little more understanding than usual.

Over the course of the last few days, I have witnessed several dangerous and downright rude (or mean) exchanges on our roads. While our city workers are doing an excellent job at getting the roads cleared as quickly and safely as possible, several of the main roads (like much of East 2nd Street), still have large snow drifts, normally placed in the center of the road. This causes some delays in traffic, especially in regards to making left turns, for obvious reasons, as the left turn lanes are covered in packed snow and ice.

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I have seen so many people change lanes without signaling or just jumping out quickly to get around vehicles attempting those left turns, without some much as a quick glance to see if there was any on coming traffic in the next lane. As matter of fact, yesterday alone (March 18th, 2021), I nearly witnessed three accidents in as many blocks, in as many minutes, just because other drivers are in hurry (or just pain rude).

Yes, the weather is a lot better, but that does not mean the roads are automatically going to be better or magically be cleared. We all have to remember that we share these roads with each other. Moreover, it's even more important to remember that everyone's time is equally precious.

A little bit of patience and courtesy really can go a long way.