The Entrepreneurial Community Editorial: The Passing Lane and Other Fond Memories

Johnnie Aycock, the host of the Noon Show on Catfish 100.1 and the longtime former president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, is a contributing columnist for the Thread. The Entrepreneurial Community: An Editorial will look at the people, institutions and ideas that shape this corner of the state and be published every Monday.

Does anyone remember when the left lane was known as the “passing lane”?

You pulled over, passed another vehicle, then returned to the right. It was a simple arrangement. Apparently, too simple to last.

Today, the left lane serves as advance preparation for a turn scheduled sometime before Thanksgiving. Drivers settle in five miles early, determined to be ready. You have to admire that kind of planning.

Then, after creeping along for several miles, they turn right.

This keeps the rest of us mentally sharp.

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The right lane offers its own surprises: sudden stops, unexpected entrances and drivers apparently searching for an address last seen in 1987.

The middle lane might provide relief, but the eighteen-wheelers have established a rolling homeowners association there.

And turn signals? Those increasingly serve as historical markers. They tell us where someone has already gone. Occasionally, one stays on for miles, suggesting either an upcoming turn or an unresolved decision from Tuesday.

Of course, none of us would ever contribute to this confusion. We are merely innocent observers, offering helpful commentary from behind our steering wheels. My passengers might describe that commentary differently.

Perhaps the answer is a little more courtesy, a little more attention and a little less certainty that the entire road belongs to us. Meanwhile, leave some space, take a breath and keep your sense of humor.

Getting across town may require patience, prayer and a crystal ball. But please give us a signal before you turn.

We’re still recovering from your last surprise.

The Entrepreneurial Community: An Editorial appears regularly on the Tuscaloosa Thread. Aycock and his co-host Lisa Jones can be heard on the Noon Show on Catfish 100.1 every weekday from 12 to 1 p.m.