Mixed Signals

I left the house early this morning to run to the grocery store for supplies. I signed up to make a casserole for someone who just had a baby, and I need to get a few things. Halfway to the store, in the glare of the bright sun, I spotted a flagman. Though he had a flag held out toward me, he seemed to be motioning me into the other lane, so I started to pull into the left lane, then realized that there was a construction truck coming out of a road. I steered back into my lane and stopped just shy of the flagman. He read me the verbal riot act, and I was a bit miffed because his signals were unclear.

I proceeded to the store, putting the incident out of my mind. But on the way back, at a traffic light, there was that same flagman. His construction endeavors had moved down the road, but now I was wise to this guy. I slowed way down and stopped even though we had the green light. There were a dozen cars on both sides of the light, and once again, this guy, though holding the flag out, motioned with his arms for traffic to go.

Suffice it to say that I did not go, having encountered this communications situation earlier. But other cars started, only to realize that there were large construction trucks coming out of a side road. The cars all slammed on their brakes, and this misfit flagman yelled at them all angrily. I am sure he thinks that all the drivers on the road today are stupid. Truth is, he has no idea how to function as a clearly communicating flagman. Huh. I wonder how many others people will be fooled by this ridiculous exercise before they replace him with a competent director!