Small town life vs. big city

On the CBS Sunday Morning Show, "road rage," was the topic for one segment. During the show, I began to do some mental calculations, comparing the probabilities, of just where one would be most likely to experience such behaviors. Was it more feasible, to be accosted on the road here in our rural community, or in the more metropolitan cities?

My column has run under the title, "Pros and Cons," so I decided use that premise, to seek a plausible answer to the above question. There are multiple issues to investigate, where rural and metropolitan locations differentiate.

One morning last week, when I was riding with a family member, we approached Austin Boulevard, on our way for weekly shopping. We made our way north on College Street to the stop light at Cottey, because making a left turn onto Austin from other side streets, can be a bit "dicey!"

As we approached Woods Grocery, we entered the middle turn lane to make a left turn from Austin into the parking lot. That middle turn lane is not the most comfortable place to remain for any length of time. Austin Boulevard was enlarged in the mid 60s, to its present width, but the original layout did not include a turn lane. Each of the four marked lanes for traffic had ample room for both cars and trucks to safely maneuver.

In the present system, there is barely room for four passenger vehicles to occupy a lane, with a fifth car in the middle turn lane. If there are any 18-wheelers on the road, there are only inches to spare between vehicles.

On this morning as we entered the middle turn lane, we noticed there was a long line of cars and trucks coming from the west on Highway 54. It sort of made us feel as if we were the proverbial "sitting ducks!" The longer we remained in the turn lane, the more opportunities there were for us to encounter close calls from the passing traffic. We finally entered the parking lot, and the anxious moment passed.

During that same week, I saw a posting by a friend on Facebook, who now lives and works in the Kansas City area. They remarked about the terrible traffic jams on I-435, and the long delays they were experiencing, driving to and from work.

Their lament about urban traffic jams, made our recent Austin Boulevard traffic issue appear somewhat insignificant. I only travel to Kansas City and other metropolitan areas, a few times a year, but when I do, the difference in the traffic, and the intensity of the other drivers, is very evident.

One of the first things I notice is the length of time we spend at stoplights. While we may find our local intersection lights slightly bothersome, they pale in comparison, when matched against those in KC.

There is one intersection that I will use as an example. If you are traveling to the Independence Shopping Center, your normal route is to travel north up I-470, to the first exit past I-70. That exit has you make a looping circle to the right until you are headed 180 degrees back south.

Approaching this exit, you must also know which turn lane you need to enter, because there are multiple turn lanes that go in three different directions -- left, straight ahead, or right. You better be prepared for a long wait during peak traffic hours, and don't be surprised if you have to sit through multiple light changes, before you can proceed.

The longer I considered the differences between our traffic issues in good old Nevada, and those in KC, the more I realized, that "road rage," is more likely to happen in our neighbor city to the north. The everyday stress and tension of city traffic, keeps most drivers in the metro area, vulnerable to episodic incidents such as "road rage."

We rural people maintain a guarded, but necessary, relationship with our metro cities. There are so many selections that are available there, that we don't have here. Certain metro opportunities that we don't enjoy include -- specialized medical facilities, shopping centers, sporting events, a variety of entertainment venues.

As time passes, the disparity between our area and the cities, will likely increase. During my lifetime, the availability of products and services locally has declined greatly.

One example that I have used in the past to emphasize our downgrade in available services is in the area of clothing. In my youth, there were several clothing stores on or around the Nevada Square. Several offered men's suits, sport coats, dress shirts, and slacks. You could even get alterations if needed. Today, there is not a single place for a man to buy a suit in our town.

That old Square had its own traffic issues. Parking was at a premium and difficult to find at times. There were parking meters that required you to pay for timed parking privileges.

Locally our worst location for likely road rage is in the vicinity of the truck stop and Wal-Mart. Both local vehicles and those from the Interstate, mix in close quarters. It is getting so congested, that I suspect they will soon have to put in more stoplights.

Yes "road rage," is more of an issue in the city then here, but it still happens in both places. Cell phone use while driving, has caused a lot of problems for both. I see distracted people texting or talking on their phones while driving all the time.

Several years ago, our old family friend Jack Rasnic, asked me to write about the traffic at the corner of Austin and Prewitt. At that time he lived a few blocks south.

So Jack, I am fulfilling my promise to you now. That terrible intersection you called "CONFUSION JUNCTION," needs a stoplight. It is busy, dangerous, and most importantly, a likely spot for some future "Road Rage!"