Skip to content

Opinion: Drivers at the front of Burnaby left-turn lanes are bad human beings

I know people love to throw shade at Richmond drivers, but let’s not take Burnaby drivers off the hook for their iffy behaviour. I spend most of my driving life these days in Burnaby, in particular the intersections near my office.
sperling and canada way
A flashing left-turn signal at Sperling and Canada Way in Burnaby. Chris Campbell photo

I know people love to throw shade at Richmond drivers, but let’s not take Burnaby drivers off the hook for their iffy behaviour.

I spend most of my driving life these days in Burnaby, in particular the intersections near my office. So Lougheed Higway at Production Way, Gaglardi Way, North Road, Willingdon and other intersections.

If there’s one thing that makes these intersections so intolerable it’s the drivers at the front of the line at the left-turn signals.

They drive me crazy.

There’s this weird sort of entitlement that washes over drivers who are at the front of this line that tells them they don’t have to worry about getting through the light so they are…going…to…go…as…slow…as…humanly…possible.

The person who is second in line isn’t much better. I always see a loooooong, soul-crushing gap between the first and second vehicle.

Meanwhile, us poor saps are at the back of the line wondering how these drivers at the front can be such terrible human beings.

It's virtually every time I'm in one of these left-turn lineups. Like, without fail.

I’m not asking people to speed or be reckless, just that when the left-turn signal goes green YOU HIT THE GAS RIGHT AWAY.

There's no safety reason for taking your time to actually move your vehicle - you're just being a jerk or you're texting.

Don’t be a jerk.

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.