The Crittenden Automotive Library

Needed: One DashCam

Needed: One DashCam

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
September 18, 2008

Is this the full-moon time of month?

When you are driving north past McDonald's and have to slam on your brakes to avoid a driver who makes a sudden, and otherwise illegal, left turn right in front of you, what do you do? Besides miss the other car, I mean?

More and more frequently, drivers are turning left into the Jewel shopping center across from Chase Bank and McDonald's, in spite of the clear No Left Turn sign. Or is it so clear? Remembering that this is Woodstock, maybe what's needed there is a "NO LEFT TURN' sign, instead of the international symbol prohibiting a left turn.

If the sign doesn't provide enough advice, then the raised island for the right-in, right-out for northbound traffic ought to provide a pretty clear indication that you are not supposed to turn left there.

I wouldn't say that I came "close" to making a big red imprint on the passenger side of that car, but it was only because I was watching. Glad I wasn't on the phone, drinking a Pepsi, turning up Y103.9, reading a text message, or otherwise distracted. (Hey, I'm leaving myself wide open here; right?) Since he was in the left-turn lane, I did expect he would be turning left - just not right there!

I circled through the parking lot and spotted the driver walking away from his car. The vehicle is a sort-of gold-colored Ford Taurus four-door sedan; license A63 3669. If you see this one coming at you, give him a lot of leeway, because he'll take it.

It was about all I could do to keep from summoning a Woodstock officer to write him a ticket.

Have you ever tried to make a traffic complaint to the Woodstock Police Department, been clear on the facts and been willing to testify in court? What was your experience? Were you successful?