Dear Mahatma: Why is diesel fuel now the same price as regular gasoline? I first noticed this near Eureka Springs last August, and have seen it recently in Florida, too. Usually diesel is 15-20 percent more than regular gasoline. -- Merit Badge
Dear Merit: We have no clue. As usual. So we asked Jessica Seaman, our reporter on the energy beat. She tells us that refineries are running higher right now to produce more gasoline for the summer and are making more diesel, too. So there's more diesel supply than demand right now. Her sources predict diesel will be lower than gasoline until August, when the latter will get a demand lift from summer driving.
Dear Mahatma: Can you tell me who I need to contact to have road construction signs removed? There are two large signs on Shannon Drive near the front yards of two homes. I believe they are done with the construction on Cantrell Road near the area but they forgot to remove the signs. -- Sandy
Dear Sandy: The signs may be gone by press time, but for this or other concerns on the state highway system -- Little Rock's Cantrell Road being Arkansas 10 -- go to the website idrivearkansas.com. It's a production of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
The home page has a contact button. Click and scroll down to "report a problem," and then, by golly, report. There is plenty of other information, too, such as road conditions. That's a good thing to know come winter. The Mahatma's favorite button is the one that shows construction projects. Did you know two bridges are being replaced on Arkansas 144 in Chicot County? Now you do.
BTW: The project to rebuild and widen 1.3 miles of U.S. 67 in Jacksonville, including a new Redmond Road overpass and Main Street overpass, is expected to be completed in late 2017. Yes, Cabot commuters, that does seem like a long ways away.
Dear Mahatma: You should refresh people on the proper way to drive through a four-way stop. -- Old Codger
Dear Codger: You are, as always, right. Refresher on the way.
Come to a complete stop. (Duh.) Look for pedestrians. Drivers get to go in order of arrival. When two or more vehicles arrive at the same time, drivers turning left yield to drivers going straight. And all drivers must yield to drivers to their right.
Three more thoughts.
First, that the most important thing is to come to a complete stop. It should go without saying, but we see rolling stops. Isn't rolling stop an oxymoron?
Second, an intersection with flashing red lights in all directions should be treated as a four-way stop.
Third, a line may be painted on the street showing where a vehicle should stop. So stop there already. But a driver may pull forward to the stop sign or to the edge of the intersection if need be, then proceed when safe.
Vanity plate on a Corvette: SHK BKE. See movie Talladega Nights, a satire of NASCAR.
Mahatma@arkansasonline.com
Metro on 05/21/2016