The great thing about living in a small town versus a big city is that people know and respect each other in a small town. At least that is the way it used to be back in the 1940s and ’50s.

In today’s world, it seems to be “me-me-me, so get out of my way.” That is especially true on the highway. A red light at an intersection used to mean stop. Today, it seems to mean “look out, I’m coming through.” An intersection is a scary place these days. Drivers with a green light must look both ways before advancing through.

On one occasion, I had a green arrow to make a left turn and, being intersection wise, I hesitated before advancing. Sure enough, someone ran the red light.

Only recently, at a stoplight in Lisbon, I was turning left on a green light and, again, I hesitated. Again, a truck came barreling through at a high rate of speed. If I had advanced through the intersection when the light turned green both me and my wife would have been killed. The truck was going that fast.

Intersections need not be a kill zone. People should put away those phones and stop texting. A careless driver could kill an entire family and, believe me, no phone call is worth that.

In case anyone has forgotten, red means stop; yellow means caution; green means go. Show some respect. The lights at the intersection are color coded for a reason.

Phillip Webber, Lisbon

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