Road rage: The gap? Nice for shopping, but not for those making left turns

It is nice shopping at the Gap. What's not nice about a gap is when you see one at an intersection.

While many enjoy the Gap shopping experience, I do not enjoy the gap at an intersection. At least that's what I call it.

To explain: You're stopped at a signal to make a left turn. The arrow or arrows go green and ... nothing. Just as maddening is when the first vehicle makes and efficient turn and there's a huge GAP.

It is these two gaps that frustrate an efficient driver.

Sure, commercial vehicles, especially dump trucks and cement mixers, are slow to turn and their drivers cannot avoid a gap.

But, those lame souls who are on the telephone or just daydreaming are wasting my time. The gap between vehicles is evidence whether a driver keeps things moving or slows them down.

It is so frustrating to see these gaps. It's not rocket science: the light is green, so what more do you need?

OK, I'll admit that human error, which none of us can avoid, will make you slow off the mark.

Yet, it doesn't take a seer to be able to tell that the slow driver is just that — a slow driver with no clue that he or she is an impediment to everyone else on the highway.

Arrrrrrh. Why do I miss a turn because two fools cannot keep up with the traffic in front of them? Unfortunately, we all know the answer.

The gap gets even worse when drivers in a two-lane left turn don't know how to turn.

It should be simple: The driver on the inside goes to the closest lane and the other goes to the middle lane (or right lane, if both are turning onto a two-lane highway). It's not hard because they actually put lines on the highway you can follow.

But, how many drivers do you see poke through a left turn and then drift over into the wrong lane? It makes you want to bring out sign language (you know, the one that's NOT American Sign Language but understood by all drivers).

Between the gap and the turn, it's enough to frustrate the Good Humor man.