We’re back from our stay on Martha’s Vineyard, where there are no traffic lights.
I am reminded of the theory of the “social contract” — that we all give up some rights in the interest of society — the often-cited example of which is obeying traffic lights.
On the Vineyard, there is the social contract of “driving courtesy” — respecting the “rules” at stop signs, in rotaries, and in merging and yielding for left turning cars in traffic situations.
Although traffic on the Vineyard has gotten worse over the years, the shared common driving courtesies make it bearable.