“The average person spends two weeks over their lifetime waiting for the traffic light to change.”
—Tom Waits, American singer, songwriter, and actor.
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Watching drivers at the intersection outside the coffee shop last week proved entertaining. It also caused one to wonder if anyone really waits for a traffic light.
“Fifty cents says the white SUV runs the yellow,” wagered one caffeine consumer.
“Runs the yellow?” echoed another. “You don’t stop for a yellow.” Cue the eye roll and head shake.
For the record, “Hurry up and get through” was also the number one wrong answer when late-night host Jay Leno asked pedestrians on the street years ago, “What does the yellow light mean?” Even then, the collective consensus revealed intelligence levels far below the minimum requirements for driving. Or as my mother used to say, “More painfully ignorant than humorous.”
None of Leno’s participants, and few of the coffee drinkers, knew the correct legal answer: Driving through a yellow light is legal only if your vehicle’s front tires are completely across the white stop line before the light officially switches to red. And you can still be ticketed if you exceed the speed limit “speeding up” to beat the red.
Was it a coincidence that this recent caffeine-fueled debate coincided with the anniversary of the nation’s first electric traffic light installed at the corner of 105th and Euclid in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 5, 1914? An article in Hemmings Motor News chronicling the event added: “The noteworthy anniversary was duly celebrated with the majority of American motorists continuing their recent tradition regarding traffic lights—ignoring them.”
Traffic lights still change, but apparently, drivers have not.
An old traffic light, reportedly retired from the city of Nacogdoches, recently changed the look of my game room. It works displaying all the right colors, just as it did when reckless drivers routinely abused it. It fits nicely into the assortment of working refugees decorating my “stop stress zone,” alongside a 1955 Seeburg jukebox, a pair of drive-in movie speakers, vintage oil company signs, and my guitar collection. For the record, that surplus city signal cost more at the antique shop recently than the 1955 Ford in my garage likely sold for back when it just was a used car.
Recent reflections on traffic lights also reminded me of a personal lesson on what happens when you try to “beat the yellow.” Years ago, with Christmas drawing near, Yuletide tensions were running high at home. Seeking a brief escape, I decided a Sunday afternoon getaway to the neighboring big city would be the perfect opportunity to hunt for last-minute gifts.
Heading home later that day and passing through a small community south of Shreveport, the light flashed yellow just as I entered the intersection. After a millisecond’s debate, I decided it was too late to stop and pressed the gas.
I celebrated too quickly when I saw no flashing lights in my rearview mirror, and moments later, I was pulling over and surrendering my license to a local officer.
He asked if I was headed back to Center and what my business was in Shreveport.
“Yes sir, heading home,” I told him politely. “My business? Honestly, the high level of Christmas anxiety at home just prompted the thought that it was a good day to get away and do some shopping by myself.”
The officer paused, pushed his cap back, and made eye contact with me. “So, you left your wife at home to go Christmas shopping alone?”
Unsure where he was going with this, I struggled to formulate a defense. Before I could speak, he handed back my license.
“Next time you run away from home for some peace and quiet, stop by here and get me,” he said with a grin. “I’ll go with you. Merry Christmas and drive safely.”
Back at the coffee shop, I recounted the story to the group. “So, trying to outrun a yellow light can catch you red-handed in the middle of the intersection facing a ticket and a fine.”
I paused, taking a sip of coffee. “Unless, of course, the officer pulling you over is also looking for an escape plan.”
—Leon Aldridge
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Leon Aldridge is a veteran editor, publisher, and communications professional, currently enjoying semi-retirement while awaiting the next challenge. His columns appear in: The Center Light and Champion, The Mount Pleasant Tribune, the Rosenberg Fort Bend Herald, the Taylor Press, the Alpine Avalanche, the Fort Stockton Pioneer, the Elgin Courier, The Monitor in Naples, and Motor Sports Magazine.
© Leon Aldridge and A Story Worth Telling 2026. Feel free to use excerpts with full and clear credit given to Leon Aldridge and ‘A Story Worth Telling.’
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