I was just on my way home from the dentist when I ended up waiting in line at a stop light. It was two lanes going each way, so there was a line of cars next to me as long as the line I was in.

There were eight cars in each line. I was the eighth car in the left lane. Mine was also a turning lane, and it was difficult to tell which of the cars in front of me were going to be waiting to turn left.

When the light changed, we didn’t move, which told me at least the first car was turning left. As the cars in the right lane cleared out, it revealed that all seven cars ahead of me must be turning left. There were no cars in the right lane and none coming up from behind us.

So, we sat, and we waited for oncoming traffic from the other side to loosen up so our lane could start turning left.

After probably about 60 seconds, one of the cars from our lane put it’s right turn signal on, waited a bit, and pulled out to go straight. This inspired the car behind it to do the same. After a few seconds, a third car from our line signaled and then pulled out to go straight. Finally, the driver of a fourth car figured out he didn’t have to sit and wait for the front car to turn left. He, too, could use the other lane and go straight.

A line of seven cars in a lane that has the option to turn left, and no fewer than four cars sitting and waiting for the front car to turn left were actually going straight the whole time. And none of them could figure out to move to the right and go around.

I sure hope while they were waiting there, someone convinced them to vote.