Now, I would never advocate destruction of government property...

[Robb]

...But I think our little town might have made a mistake installing a traffic light.

We put in the first (and only) light in the county, on a highway intersection of sorts. You have to slow down to 45 going through town, but now there's a light as well.

After nearly two years, the results are in: averages about 35 little accidents each year, and one major one. Contrast that to before, when we had about three little accidents and two major ones on average.

The new numbers mean one in three cars in the county are in fender-benders annually there -- one in two, if you factor in only the ones that are currently running :) . That's ten times what it was before. The fatality rate is the same, still about one death from a major accident every three years or so.

Progress, this is. :D I may have to find a smaller town!

[leanings]

1. The town of Sperryville, VA,

about 45 minutes north of where I live now and my ancestoral home (my hillybilly kinfolk had their cabins near there) recently REMOVED its only stoplight.

Now THAT is progress.

Edited to add: The town of "Sperryville" is referred to in the local parlance as "Spurravul". "Berryville", up the road apiece, is of course "Burravul".