The Turn Signal Is Not a Confession

That little lever is not a legal admission. Nobody will use it against you. You can just tell us you are turning.

The turn signal is one of the great inventions in the history of getting along: a free, blinking, universal way of saying, here is what I am about to do. And a remarkable number of people guard this information as if we were foreign agents.

Timing counts

Signaling while already halfway through the turn is not a signal. It is a press release. The point is to tell people before you do it, which is true of most things in life.

Also while we are here

• Merging is a zipper, not a contest.
• A little wave of thanks fixes more than you would imagine.
• If you are camped in the left lane with your blinker on for six miles, please know that everyone behind you has become a philosopher.

We feel strongly about this one, so we made it a sticker. Consider it a small public service for your bumper.