Coming up the road from Ridge at the Pax Gate stop light the other day. the traffic is backed up with the people trying to enter pax base from left turning lane stopped in Northbound lane at change of light and completley blocking Northbound traffic who would like to use RT 235 pass the base as well as those employees. If you see the traffic backed up at gate, please don't turn into intersection when your left lane turning arrow becomes green. Not everyone works at pax river base and we have schedules to keep also. Thanks :whistle:

Coming up the road from Ridge at the Pax Gate stop light the other day. the traffic is backed up with the people trying to enter pax base from left turning lane stopped in Northbound lane at change of light and completley blocking Northbound traffic who would like to use RT 235 pass the base as well as those employees. If you see the traffic backed up at gate, please don't turn into intersection when your left lane turning arrow becomes green. Not everyone works at pax river base and we have schedules to keep also. Thanks :whistle:

Not that I don't agree that many drivers are jackasses, but...

Since you know going that way is going to be crappy at that time of the day, maybe you should anticipate the jackasses and leave earlier, so you can stay on schedule? Just saying :whistle:

maybe he should complain about the right turn on red drivers who block the southbound traffic from turning left.

FWIW, if they don't go when the arrow is green, when do you suggest they turn. Their window to turn is limited and they either take the chance traffic will move or they will be stuck there through an endless number of lights.

I suggest you take your complaint to the base commander. Maybe he can make the lane longer so they have room to turn in (not that the northbound traffic or the GMR traffic won't fill in those spots...)

:killingme

maybe he should complain about the right turn on red drivers who block the southbound traffic from turning left.

FWIW, if they don't go when the arrow is green, when do you suggest they turn. Their window to turn is limited and they either take the chance traffic will move or they will be stuck there through an endless number of lights.

I suggest you take your complaint to the base commander. Maybe he can make the lane longer so they have room to turn in (not that the northbound traffic or the GMR traffic won't fill in those spots...)

:killingme

Hey Dipsh!t, if you see the intersection is being blocked at the change of light, try waiting for next light. as for the base commander, I don't know the S.O.B Share the road you moron. (this is being as gentle and sweet as I can be slick)

Hey Dipsh!t, if you see the intersection is being blocked at the change of light, try waiting for next light. as for the base commander, I don't know the S.O.B Share the road you moron. (this is being as gentle and sweet as I can be slick)

I don't use gate 2 dip####, but the moron county commish think it's great that it's the "MAIN" gate for PAX. Please tell those trying to turn left how many lights they should wait because I'll guaruntee you there will never be room on the other side as long as they wait. They have no control over how fast the traffic will clear security, it could be seconds or there could be some moron who made a wrong turn and has to be turned around.

Use the suggestion above, take an alternate route - avoid the area intead of adding to the congestion.

maybe he should complain about the right turn on red drivers who block the southbound traffic from turning left.

FWIW, if they don't go when the arrow is green, when do you suggest they turn. Their window to turn is limited and they either take the chance traffic will move or they will be stuck there through an endless number of lights.

I suggest you take your complaint to the base commander. Maybe he can make the lane longer so they have room to turn in (not that the northbound traffic or the GMR traffic won't fill in those spots...)

:killingme

Hell, thats easy, WHEN THE FAR SIDE OF THE INTERSECTION IS FREAKIN CLEAR!!!!!!!.

Ah, that felt good.:yahoo: I know those people coming from the south who use the straight lane to then turn right into the other lanes than the one they are supposed to are in the wrong, but nobody is going to stop them.

Two wrongs dont make a right.

Oh, and we beat the crud out of this a few months back......:coffee:

http://forums.somd.com/life-southern-maryland/206693-if-there-no-room-you-other-side.html

Hell, thats easy, WHEN THE FAR SIDE OF THE INTERSECTION IS FREAKIN CLEAR!!!!!!!.

.
point being those lanes at rush hour will never be clear. Which is why it annoys me at gate 1 when people making a left will stop to let a right turner into the stream - their ack of consideration has now hung another car out on 235 who thought traffic was moving.

being a South of Base to Gate 3 traveler myself, what really grinds my gears is when 235 N&S lights are green...no turn light...and people turning left will come across and cut me off as I turn right onto Hermanville(or whatever it's called going to base)

This happens to me every morning. Why arent there any police around when we need them. they would give out so many tickets for running the red light. UGH

Prior to all the contruction on both gates, Gate 1 used to be the 24 hour gate. Wonder why they haven't gone back to that since the construction is done? :confused:

being a South of Base to Gate 3 traveler myself, what really grinds my gears is when 235 N&S lights are green...no turn light...and people turning left will come across and cut me off as I turn right onto Hermanville(or whatever it's called going to base)

I had this conversation not that long ago on the forum and it was shocking the amount of people who truly believed left turning vehicles had the right away over right turning vehicles and vehicles proceeding straight. Even after I quoted the MD law on it. :twitch: Scary.

Two wrongs dont make a right.



but three lefts do!

I gave up caring a few weeks ago. It's a free-for-all out there now and anything goes. Just like driving it Naples Italy.

I had this conversation not that long ago on the forum and it was shocking the amount of people who truly believed left turning vehicles had the right away over right turning vehicles and vehicles proceeding straight. Even after I quoted the MD law on it. :twitch: Scary.:lmao: You can't fix stupid. Had one lady in front of me in the traffic circle that wanted to stop at every point in the circle and let people in. :doh: We've got some idiots driving around in Maryland.

:lmao: You can't fix stupid.

I do know after that thread, I am even more vigilent when driving and am no longer surprised by the high number of accidents in the area.

You know I commuted back and forth to DC for years and didn't see anywhere near the amount of car accidents during my commute that I see here on a weekly basis.

I had this conversation not that long ago on the forum and it was shocking the amount of people who truly believed left turning vehicles had the right away over right turning vehicles and vehicles proceeding straight. Even after I quoted the MD law on it. :twitch: Scary.

Agreed. Some people get confused (if I'm being generous) because there are some intersections that have a small separate right turn "ramp" that has a yield sign at the end of it. In that circumstance, the right turner does wait for any left turners that are in the intersection.

Some people are easily confused.

Prior to all the contruction on both gates, Gate 1 used to be the 24 hour gate. Wonder why they haven't gone back to that since the construction is done? :confused:

I beleive one reason is the county commisioners lobbied for Gate 2 since it's the "heart of the lexington park district". But prior to the last go round, I thnk they had made the announcement that gate 2 was the MAIN gate (see that pretty sign).
It doesn't make sense to the people who have to go thru it or around it, but that's the way it is (which is why I said he should complain to the county and NDW).
Also, he's only complaining about the left turners. FWIW, there are probably as many cars coming across GMR that get hung up when the light changes.
People can only go by what they see; lights green, traffic is moving. The don't know when it will stop and how far back they will be. They also don't know how much time is left on the light. I've seen plenty of well meaning people let cars turn right in front of them - not thinking that the people behind them (who thought the road was clear) are now stuck out in the intersection.
The answer is to have more room for the traffic to go to or shorten the light so few cars get thru. The later would just push the problem further down each road so the only alternative is to get cars away from the interection. The new ID check hasn't helped, it's only slowed it up.
Oh, and don't count on any improvements on the base side. It would take years just to get the money to do a study and design the changes.

Get use to it until the next BRAC then you can tell Steny you want the congestion gone - Ridgecrest would welcome the jobs.

I beleive one reason is the county commisioners lobbied for Gate 2 since it's the "heart of the lexington park district". But prior to the last go round, I thnk they had made the announcement that gate 2 was the MAIN gate (see that pretty sign).
It doesn't make sense to the people who have to go thru it or around it, but that's the way it is (which is why I said he should complain to the county and NDW).
Also, he's only complaining about the left turners. FWIW, there are probably as many cars coming across GMR that get hung up when the light changes.
People can only go by what they see; lights green, traffic is moving. The don't know when it will stop and how far back they will be. They also don't know how much time is left on the light. I've seen plenty of well meaning people let cars turn right in front of them - not thinking that the people behind them (who thought the road was clear) are now stuck out in the intersection.
The answer is to have more room for the traffic to go to or shorten the light so few cars get thru. The later would just push the problem further down each road so the only alternative is to get cars away from the interection. The new ID check hasn't helped, it's only slowed it up.
Oh, and don't count on any improvements on the base side. It would take years just to get the money to do a study and design the changes.

Get use to it until the next BRAC then you can tell Steny you want the congestion gone - Ridgecrest would welcome the jobs.Many years ago Gate 2 was always the main gate, but since when do the county commissioners tell the base CO what to do? I don't think so. The base CO says what gate is the main gate and not the county commissioners. And like I said, prior to the construction of the new guard shacks, etc at the gate, Gate 1 was the main gate and open 24 hours. They closed gate 2 at night and opened it at 5:30am.

1. FWIW, there are probably as many cars coming across GMR that get hung up when the light changes.

2. People can only go by what they see; lights green, traffic is moving. The don't know when it will stop and how far back they will be. They also don't know how much time is left on the light.

3.I've seen plenty of well meaning people let cars turn right in front of them - not thinking that the people behind them (who thought the road was clear) are now stuck out in the intersection.


4. The answer is to have more room for the traffic to go to or shorten the light so few cars get thru. The later would just push the problem further down each road so the only alternative is to get cars away from the interection.



1. Concur.

2. Simple, dont ASSUME anything except worst case. To do so is a bullsh(* rationalization, putting your own want to get through the intersection above anyone elses need to do so. As you point out, theres no way to predict if it will hold up, the wise person assumes it will, and stays put until there is enough room on the far side.

When I worked on aircraft with a bomb bay, we had a saying. "Never enter a bay that isnt safety pinned, and you will NEVER get crushed to death by a bay door". Never enter an intersection unless you see enough room on the far side, and you will never get stuck. Simple.

3. Again, good intentions dont mean squat. If you have folks behind you at all, letting in the right turn folks makes you as guilty as the guy who enterd the intersection.

4. The answer? Simple, act as if you are not alone on the world. If folks followed that simple dictum in traffic, the roadways would be an amazing place.

Many years ago Gate 2 was always the main gate, but since when do the county commissioners tell the base CO what to do? I don't think so. The base CO says what gate is the main gate and not the county commissioners. And like I said, prior to the construction of the new guard shacks, etc at the gate, Gate 1 was the main gate and open 24 hours. They closed gate 2 at night and opened it at 5:30am.


The County Commissioners cannot tell the CO what to do, correct. But they can talk to Steny, who cant tell him what to do either. He can suggest, in the interests of being a good neighbor, that the CO do a thing.

Did that happen? Dont know.

I had this conversation not that long ago on the forum and it was shocking the amount of people who truly believed left turning vehicles had the right away over right turning vehicles and vehicles proceeding straight. Even after I quoted the MD law on it. :twitch: Scary.
Are you talking about making a left with a green arrow?

Are you talking about making a left with a green arrow?

No..she's talking about Green light on Green light people taking left turns cutting off people taking right turns.

Many years ago Gate 2 was always the main gate, but since when do the county commissioners tell the base CO what to do? I don't think so. The base CO says what gate is the main gate and not the county commissioners. And like I said, prior to the construction of the new guard shacks, etc at the gate, Gate 1 was the main gate and open 24 hours. They closed gate 2 at night and opened it at 5:30am.

While the CO can do as he wishes, they do try to accomodate their hosts requests. It's called being a good neighbor. Gate 2 was the main gate, then it swtiched to gate 1. Somewhere before the latest upgrade they switched it back. It was after the widening of the highway and the new sign was erected.

As to making an assumption on entering the intersection, if they were to wait at the stop line, 2 cars would get thru on each light. Whether you are coming straight or turning left, you really can't see how much room is available. Traffic is moving and by the time it stops, it's inevitable cars will be left hanging on 235. Waiting at the stop line would be an invitation to a rear end collision, the people behind are watching the same thing and are going to proceeed through the intersection as they would any other - lights green, go.

I beleive one reason is the county commisioners lobbied for Gate 2 since it's the "heart of the lexington park district". But prior to the last go round, I thnk they had made the announcement that gate 2 was the MAIN gate (see that pretty sign).
It doesn't make sense to the people who have to go thru it or around it, but that's the way it is (which is why I said he should complain to the county and NDW).
Also, he's only complaining about the left turners. FWIW, there are probably as many cars coming across GMR that get hung up when the light changes.
People can only go by what they see; lights green, traffic is moving. The don't know when it will stop and how far back they will be. They also don't know how much time is left on the light. I've seen plenty of well meaning people let cars turn right in front of them - not thinking that the people behind them (who thought the road was clear) are now stuck out in the intersection.
The answer is to have more room for the traffic to go to or shorten the light so few cars get thru. The later would just push the problem further down each road so the only alternative is to get cars away from the interection. The new ID check hasn't helped, it's only slowed it up.
Oh, and don't count on any improvements on the base side. It would take years just to get the money to do a study and design the changes.

Get use to it until the next BRAC then you can tell Steny you want the congestion gone - Ridgecrest would welcome the jobs.

This is in FACT a true statement. The CO can and in this case did agree with the County Commissioners and make gate 2 the main gate.
That said, for the purposes of this discussion, it really makes absolutely no difference which gate is the main gate since they are all open at that time anyway. There is not more traffic at gate 2 just because it's "the main gate".

The situation described by the OP came very close to a boil today. I crossed 235 from GMR and the light turned right after me. Some ya'hoo came across behind me and blocked the intersection so the traffic from 235 North could not move. A dude in a big F-250 got right up on intersection blocker guy and laid on the horn. Blocker dude rolled down his window and started a yelling match that I personally was hoping would turn into a beat down of/by someone. :boxing:I was disappointed and everything cleared up.

While the CO can do as he wishes, they do try to accomodate their hosts requests. It's called being a good neighbor. Gate 2 was the main gate, then it swtiched to gate 1. Somewhere before the latest upgrade they switched it back. It was after the widening of the highway and the new sign was erected.

As to making an assumption on entering the intersection, if they were to wait at the stop line, 2 cars would get thru on each light. Whether you are coming straight or turning left, you really can't see how much room is available. Traffic is moving and by the time it stops, it's inevitable cars will be left hanging on 235. Waiting at the stop line would be an invitation to a rear end collision, the people behind are watching the same thing and are going to proceeed through the intersection as they would any other - lights green, go.

Sorry, Bernie, from any of those lanes into Gate 1 or two, you can see if theres room.

Maryland traffic law (21 1003 d) Stopping, standing, parking vehicle in intersection. $60.00 and 0 points. The Sheriff's Office did enforcement there on Wednesday. One citation issued for running the red light while making the left turn. Nine citations issued for making the left when the intersection wasnt clear. The citations were issued to the operators that caused N/B traffic to be at a stand still with a green light. More citations to come in the near future.

Woohoo, Gate 1 or 2? I would say the Sheriff should publicize such things, that would be a force multiplier, in my opinion.