Mistaking traffic lights for Christmas decorations in old-time Phoenix

It's the holiday season, and here in Phoenix, Arizona it's the best time of the year to visit. I call this "Chamber of Commerce weather" and it's just gorgeous.

Phoenix has been a tourist destination for most of its history, and it brings in people from all over the country. This is just wonderful for the economy, but it can be challenging for drivers. No, I'm not gonna point fingers, or blame, it's just the way it is, and once you understand that, you can calm down a bit. Stay with me on this.

Although traffic laws are fairly consistent all over the United States, their interpretation can vary widely. And since sharing the road is a social thing, it can be frustrating for people who have one idea on what the correct thing to do is, and other people who have different ideas. And this morning I was thinking about one of my favorite short stories, written by James Thurber, who described the time that he was a passenger in a car and realized that the driver wasn't familiar with traffic lights, and thought that the green and red lights were just festive Christmas decorations.

Time-travel with me to old-time Phoenix when the transition was happening from traffic cops standing in intersections to just red and green lights to tell drivers if they should stop, or go. I don't know if some people just mistook them for Christmas decorations, but I'm inclined to think so. And of course people honking at them, and shouting, were just joyful Christmas spirits! Not sure what the yellow lights meant? Eggnog?

Of course, Thurber's nerves were wrecked by that ride, and after he got out safely he vowed to never be a passenger in a car again during the holidays. As for me, I just try to stay away from traffic as much as I can, and when I see someone do something strange in a car, I try to imagine that they thought that it was perfectly normal.

Happy holidays! Let's be careful out there!

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