Matt Hackmann

MattHackmann

The thoughts and goings-on of some programmer dude.

This is What I Think About Whilst Driving to Work

On my daily commute to work I encounter three intersections (four if you include that weird three way, round the corner thing). Of these intersections, two have lights. One of these is at the cross roads of a highway, with light poles hanging out over the streets on all four corners. The other one... well, it's messed up.

This intersection, being comprised of two smaller roads, has two lights dangling over a singular wire running diagonally across the streets.

This is all well and good, but if you happen to be stopped heading east/westbound (as denoted here by the green lights - illogical on two counts now that I think about it), you find yourself an annoying predicament.

The yellow cone represents one's field of vision. As you can see, the driver of this fancy white car is completely unable to see the light. He would have to hunch down and angle his neck upward at an uncomfortable angle to correct this problem. This can be made doubly worse if the driver is A) tall or B) driving in a tall vehicle. I myself have met both conditions in the past.

You might be looking at that diagram and be thinking to yourself "Okay, there are two lights. Just use the one farther away." Which would be great, except it's positioned just so that it is obstructed by the upper left corner of the car.

There is a solution that could not only solve our issue but come with another small perk as well:

By placing a single light over the center of the road, all drivers now have an equally decent view and there's the added bonus that you are now drawing half the amount of power than before.

So, City of Bartlesville street planners, take my logically thought out rant to heart and save my poor neck from this treacherous evil I must face every morning. And if I find out you all have shares in local chiropractors and this was all on purpose, then may you forever sit at a red light in the westbound lane of Price and Silver Lake down in Hell!