I’ve obviously been in Merritt for a while now – my airway starts to constrict and my hands clench the steering wheel when I have more than a three-car wait to cross the intersection at Voght Street and Nicola Avenue.

A few deeps breaths will usually do the trick, except when the traffic is backed up to the A&W like it was a few weeks ago as I headed for this “busy” intersection around lunchtime.

At first I couldn’t figure out why the traffic had come to a standstill, but then, as we inched closer, I realized we had a situation where many of the cars ahead of me were trying to turn left.

There was nothing I could do but wait my turn and watch as the light cycled from green to yellow to red several times before it was my turn to drive straight through this crossroad.

Last year I proposed a permanent one-way road from Voght Street to Coldwater (like the temporary set up they have going right now for the bike rally) but perhaps a slightly less drastic approach could solve some of our traffic congestion problems around Merritt’s main artery – a left turn lane on either side of Voght Street as there is on Nicola.

I realize some readers may be rolling their eyes at my mention of traffic troubles but, my own impatience aside, other Merritt drivers have adopted some dangerous methods to deal with their impatience and to cross the intersection quicker.

Instead of waiting their turn behind vehicles with flashing left turn indicators, these drivers overtake them on the right and cross through the intersection.

This is all very well when the road is otherwise empty, but when there is someone else on the verge of turning left from the opposite side of the intersection, this impatient manoeuvre could lead to a collision.

I say, remove the temptation. Provide a way for left-turners to queue in their very own lane so that those driving straight or turning right will not have to wait. Traffic will flow smoothly and less people will experience anxiety when driving towards Merritt’s downtown core.