Canadians are often stereotyped as being "too nice". You can experience this firsthand by bumping into one of them on the street. Do so, and you'll likely enter yourself into an onslaught of sorrys. Call out a Canuck for being too polite, and they'll promptly apologize for their niceness. It's truly a maze of pleasantries, and something that is as Canadian than maple syrup. While being too nice hardly seems like a real issue, police in Prince Edward Island are warning drivers to tone down their kindness. This news follows a string of road collisions, many provincial police are calling "a result of motorists trying to be nice".
Charlottetown Police Chief, Paul Smith, says that drivers need to simply follow the rules of the road. “A good Samaritan gesture can sometimes have devastating consequences when you are looking at t-bone accidents," Smith told reporters. The danger arises when people insist on being good Samaritans, but in reality, they're often putting other drivers at risk. Police are telling motorists to hold off on waving down other vehicles across the street, and to simply stick to what they learned in their G1 test. "When you are looking at four-lane roadways, the obstructions that happen when someone stops -- particularly in an inner lane to allow someone out -- they're not seeing what's coming up on the curb lane".
This is yet another piece of police-related news from the Atlantic province. Earlier this month, authorities in the small island threatened to punish drunk drivers with Nickelback music. And, because they're Canadian, the police force subsequently apologized for the joke. Maybe they should've taken their own advice and quit being "too nice", because boy was that an amazing story. Regardless, if you're driving in P.E.I. anytime soon, just remember to follow the rules of the road, and maybe don't get too angry when another driver flips you off...after all, they could be saving your life.
