Bangor, Maine, Police Department Humorously Reminds Drivers How Traffic Lights Work

Tim Cotton, the Bangor Police Department Lieutenant who has been the man behind all the funny and clever posts on the Department's Facebook page over the years, has retired from the force. But he still pops on from time to time with some wisdom to share using his great sense of humor and wit.

His posts have gotten the attention of people from all over the country, with the department's page having over 350,000 followers. His famous "Got Warrants?" feature weaves a tale of how citizens of Bangor end up doing things that get them in trouble by making poor decisions.

In the case of his latest post, TC is speaking to everyone who forgets the rules of the road when traffic lights are not functioning. With the wind storm we had this week, power outages were numerous across the state. At one point, there were over 450,000 homes and several traffic lights without power.

Now if you remember your lessons in driving school (which based on my observations, many don't), you know that when a traffic light isn't functioning, you treat it like it's a stop sign. That means that you stop and recognize the right-of-way, allowing the car that arrived first to proceed through the intersection. If you both arrive at the same time, the person on the right goes first, and traffic going straight has the right of way over those turning. It's pretty simple, but a lot of drivers can't wrap their heads around it.

TC explains what drivers are doing wrong in his unique and humorous style.