Maybe they thought we just never noticed that it was only one lane, and wanted to let us know?There are many more of these. What are some things that you think everyone should know?
I am wondering if the "rules" I know still apply. Do parents still teach these to their children? Or is there a new set of rules today?
What prompted my thoughts was the recent documentary by Diane Sawyer that supposedly studies the poverty of the Appalachians. People here are up in arms: she came here, a visitor who was raised in Kentucky, and was treated well. Yet she made a documentary that revisits all the old stereotypes without showing that the many-dimensional face of mountain people. We have poverty; we have problems. We also have lively cities, educated people, thriving industries, and timeless beauty. We have a city with the lowest unemployment rate in the country, and a state that still operates with a surplus.
She missed all of those; I suppose these things are not newsworthy. I think her mother forgot to teach her rule #2 above. Don't visit someone and talk bad about their home. That's bad manners.
Shame, Diane. Shame on you. You missed the real story of the mountains and used your opportunity to drag out the old trash.
1. If you're coming down the hill and someone is coming up, you've got to move over and let 'em by.
2. The one closest to a wide spot on the flatter sections of road has to pull over or back up.
3. If you ain't from here, we'll figure it out by the way you stop dead in the road when another vehicle approaches, or by the way you hog the entire road and keep on coming, assuming that of course you have the right to do so. We'll move over or back up as needed, but you might not get the usual friendly wave. And you won't know to do the thing listed next:
4. If someone pulls over for you, you should wave or give a little tap on the horn to say thanks.
5. You should never ever use other sign language when you get irritated with someone who ain't from here and doesn't know the rules.
6. If you meet your neighbor on the road, you can both stop and talk until the next car comes. Then you should move on. Unless, of course, they get out of their car and join the conversation.
7. If you see someone with car trouble, stuck in the ditch or whatever, you must stop to help. If you can't help, you can commiserate or offer to go find someone with tractor and/or tools. You should never, ever simply wave and go by. That's rude and your payback will come when you're broke down, believe me.
8. Men must stop to look at deer. Women usually don't bother--the deer are in the road enough to see them quite well. Some men will have head-on collisions in the middle of a one-lane dirt road with total traffic of about 20 cars a day because they're looking at deer (ask my husband and the neighbor he met on our road). It's safer to let them stop and look.
9. Men must try to get out if it snows or floods. They just must, I don't know why. Even if they have nowhere to go, they will want to see if they can get through.
10. If it's dusty, slow down if you pass someone walking. Slow down if you're following another vehicle so you don't eat their dust. Slow down if you're passing someone's house and their kids are outside playing or if their doors and windows are open.
11. Be nice to the mailman and the school bus driver. Their jobs are tough enough without us giving them a hard time or riding on their bumpers.
12. If you find a tree down in the road first, it's your job to try to get it out of the path of vehicles of possible. That may mean a trip back to the house for a chain saw and tow chain, or tractor. If you're a woman, you can wait for the next guy with truck and tools (love those men!) if you find that you can't do the job yourself.
13. If it floods, you must go down to look at the water and visit with all the other neighbors who are there looking at the water and watching those who feel they must try to drive through. I've yet to see someone actually not get through. I have seen a few vehicles with water in the floorboards and other places not good for the continued life of said vehicle. Not mine of course. Of course not. Who would be so silly?
14. If it's between 9:30 and 12:30 on a Sunday morning, you will get behind church traffic heading up to Mount Hope Church, unless you remember to take the other fork of the road. Be patient. Follow them slowly and use the time to look at the wildflowers, deer, improvements neighbors have made to their places, and other points of interest along the way.
15. Always assume someone is coming around the blind curves and over the blind hills. They seldom are, but there is always that one time...
16. Teenagers almost always drive too fast too soon; they often violate rules #1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 14. They also often require that others follow rule #7
I may have missed a few--anyone have any additions to this list?
