When Did We Start Seeing Red Lights as Festive Decorations?

In the seemingly simpler times of yesteryear, red traffic lights weren’t just there for ornamental purposes. You know, back when prairie dogs had more road sense than some of today’s common drivers – yeah, those days.

Back then, when a traffic light dared to flash its angry cherry hue, people stopped. There was a look of absolute respect for the law in their eyes, perhaps even a mild hint of fear. This wasn’t some fearful submission to a tyrannical overlord. No! It was out of respect – respect for the law, respect for the peace it maintained and respect for each other’s life for Pete’s sake!

Across the good ol’ tarmac, drivers would competently grip their steering wheel like a knight with his sword, ever ready for battle against traffic rule violators. Why did they stop? Oh, just a multitude of reasons – they didn’t want a ticket, they didn’t want to cause an accident, they didn’t want to be ‘that guy’.

And let’s be honest, the cops back then weren’t exactly known for handing out second chances. If you know what I mean? They would brandish their ticket pad with a smug, “I told you so” grin as effectively as your Mom does with a wooden spoon when you’ve burnt the Thanksgiving turkey. No hesitation, no leniency, you jump a red light, you get a ticket, end of discussion.

Fast forward to today, and somehow, red lights have become optional, almost as if they’re merely suggestions rather than stringent traffic rules. Heck, it’s as though the traffic light is saying, “Hey, do you wanna stop? No? Ah, it’s okay. Have a nice day.”

Daily, drivers, like maverick Formula 1 racers, push their cars through the changing light, not simply when it tiptoes from cautionary yellow to stop-sign red, but even from a good three car lengths back. It’s as if the red light is a starting gun in an imaginary race against sanity itself.

Tickets? Ha! As rare as a blue moon these days. Our modern, laid-back police forces seem to have better things to do than monitor and control traffic. Or maybe, they’re just weighed down by the sheer magnitude of it all. And so, the bold and daring road-users gamble their way through the crossroads of life, playing a high-stakes game of Russian roulette. That is until they, unfortunately, cause an accident.

We laugh at those old black-and-white public safety films from the 1950s, but perhaps our society today is like one of those films, playing continuously on loop without the satisfying outcome. When did self-preservation and respect for the rules get trumped by impatience and bravado?

Maybe next year’s model cars will transform red lights into smiling emojis, because that’s all they seem to be: a pleasant, cheery suggestion. Or maybe it’s time we stop treating the traffic laws as mere recommendations and consider them for what they are, a vital framework to keep us all safe and sound.

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