Breaking rules and ... turn signals

I was telling someone the other day that I am rule breaker, not a rule follower.

Two of my rule breakings over at Rice University had consequences a couple of weeks ago. They got slammed shut.

First I found a parking place on the campus where I did not have to pay, it is close to the Inner Loop shuttle. But I am not supposed to park there. I have been running just ahead of the authorities for over two years. I would swear that when I started parking there, there was no sign. But the sign has been there for a while. I got a ticket. The small print on the ticket envelope describes where I can park at Rice for free. So now I am following rules.

Secondly I found a carrel at the Rice library with an open drawer. Almost all the drawers are locked. There I could store stuff, mostly small office stuff and things like candy, paper napkins, toothbrush, comb, and the like. The drawer had been raided a few times over the years but this time it was locked. I have to admit I took it too far. I was keeping a library book without checking it out. So I get what I deserve.

I have checked around. I found another unlocked drawer. But after my last problem I will stay where I usually study with the locked drawer. At least for a while. Probably I need a better one still.

OK, that was all introduction. I was reminded off this because of my road rule breaking experience recently. Recently I got a ticket for not using my turn signal. I got out of it. (Yeah!) Perhaps I should chalk that up to grace.

But since all that I have been using my turn signal. I would have told you I already did most of the time. (My family scoffs when I say that.) Now I see that that was not true. I still have to be pretty conscious of it. I think a common reason for not using the turn signal is that it just signals to people behind you what you are about to do so they can speed up and stop you.

My fear of that has been relatively unfounded. For every people who does speed up there are two who see the signal and let you in. So I commend to you the use of your turn signal, if you are not already doing it.