That Left is Not Alright

I am leaving work Friday evening and heading to the gym.  I go to the end of the street where I plan to go right (north) on 19th Avenue.  Unfortunately, I am stuck behind a DOPE (doesn't operate properly in the environment) who is attempting to make a left-hand turn (south) on 19th Avenue.

19th Avenue is a major north-south surface street in Phoenix.  Because of the number of mountains, there are only a few surface streets that go all the way north and south.  This means that these streets, like 19th Avenue, are VERY busy at rush hour.

So back to the DOPE.  

He is attempting to make a left across 3 busy lanes of northbound traffic, a center turn lane, and then into the closest of the 3 busy southbound lanes.

This is a bad idea.  Aside from the fact that it will take a long time, it is dangerous as hell.  I don't know the statistics on the number of accidents that occur because of poor judgment on left-hand turns.  I thought about making up a statistic but decided that this is the grumpy old man blog, not the BS'ing old man blog.

Anyway, making a left turn across that many lanes of speeding rush hour traffic is a really dumb idea.  

Better ideas:  

1.  Make a right then find a place to safely make a left across 19th Avenue and re-enter 19th Avenue going south.  

2.  Go around the block and go one block south to a street that has a light at 19th Avenue where you can safely make a left hleft-handon a green light.

In any case, Grumpy Impatient Old Man (me) got frustrated, backed up a few feet, turned into the parking lot of a nearby establishment and went north from that establishment.  Though tempted, I did not flip the bird at the DOPE who was still waiting to make the left.  For all I know, he is probably still there.

- Grumpy Old Man