Dear Mahatma: We drive through the construction project on Interstate 530 south of Little Rock and have seen workers and dump-truck drivers urinating in view of people driving up and down the interstate. What should we do about this? -- Full Frontal
Dear Frontal: Holy indecent exposure!
One of our sources at the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is Danny Straessle. We can only imagine the look on his face when he saw the email with your question.
Shock. Horror. Chagrin, even.
He replied with great alacrity:
"We have advised our construction and maintenance divisions to remind our contractors and our own employees that such conduct is not acceptable. Time and facilities are provided, but not always convenient."
A master of understatement, this Mr. Straessle.
He said anyone who witnesses such behavior is welcome to complete a Report a Problem form on iDrive Arkansas.
"It will be routed expeditiously for resolution," he said.
Dear Mahatma: In your answer last week to Annoyed Arkie, you related an occasion where you saw several cars go through an intersection after the light turned red. I live in Little Rock. It's rare to drive from Point A to Point B without seeing at least one car running a red light. -- Feeling Doomed
Dear Feeling: We feel your pain.
Dear Mahatma: Regarding the complaint about running red lights, my husband and I have made a game of it. If we're first in line when the light turns green and drivers continue to turn left in front of us in spite of their red light, we gun it and lay on the horn. We don't try to ram the cars, just make them notice us. We figure driving in Little Rock is like raising kids. You gotta find fun in the misery. -- Gonna Go on Green
Dear Go: Please, please be careful. The Mahatma needs all the readers he can get.
Dear Mahatma: Your column mentioned a driver who turned left on a red light because no one was coming. Annoyed Arkie labeled him as arrogant. Yes, but also smart. Unlike money, time can never be replaced. It seems stupid to sit idly, wasting so much time, at the behest of some arbitrary signal. It would be far more efficient to change the law and treat red lights as stop signs. -- J
Dear J: Please run for legislative office and introduce a bill to that effect.
Until then, and to refresh everyone's memory, let's paraphrase from the Arkansas Driver License Study Guide.
A continuous yellow light indicates the signal is fixin' to change.
A driver must stop if a stop can be executed safely without blocking the intersection.
If the driver is within the intersection when the yellow light changes, he must not stop but proceed through.
Footnote: Little Rock police do give out red-light tickets. In 2014, 951 such tickets were issued.
Vanity plate seen on a black Corvette: ISPY007. Admit it -- this is as cool as it gets.
Mahatma@arkansasonline.com
Metro on 02/07/2015