The Stop Sign

I love the red and white stop signs.

While riding through near-empty roads of a small town in the U.S., I saw vehicles making a complete halt at a junction with the Stop sign. Each driver at the junction looked out for vehicles in the oppoisite lane, adhered to the first-in/first-out logic, and then drove away peacefully. To me, this order and discipline seemed surreal. I was impressed with the discipline of the drivers—no cops around (at least none visible), no traffic signals, no whistle blowers—yet everybody obeyed.

I am used to roads where oftentimes traffic movements at junctions (not controlled by traffic lights) are conflicting and comical. Each driver wants to be the first one to roll out.

Maybe, our junctions need these red and white stop signs. Simple discipline enforced by a simple sign board. Life is really this simple. Ain’t it?