Solving Atlanta's Traffic Problem

While I was sitting and having dinner tonight, I happened to read one of the local indie mags. You know, the ones where half of them at least are ad content?

And the solution proposed towards fixing the traffic problems of Atlanta sound a lot like this. Use your turn signal. Give people at least two car lengths of space behind you. Don't tailgate. This not only cuts down on accidents but wastes less fuel and wastes less merging delays.

But as our Deist friend said: "Common sense is not so common." ~ Dictionnaire Philosophique (1764), Voltaire


Admittedly, part of the problem is that Atlanta's interstate system was, particularly the downtown sections, put together very piecemeal and on the cheap. It takes a few months of getting around here before you know the tricks. Out-of-towners cause many accidents as to do those who can't drive.

And the solution proposed:

(thanks wikipedia)

The ethic of reciprocity or "The Golden Rule" is a fundamental moral principle found in virtually all major religions and cultures, which simply means "treat others as you would like to be treated." It is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways:

• "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD." — Moses (ca. 1525-1405 BCE) in the Torah Leviticus 19:18 (pertaining here, however, strictly to "thy people", i.e., Hebrews)
• "This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you." from the Mahabharata (5:15:17) (ca. 500BCE)
• "What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others." — Confucius (ca. 551–479 BCE)
• "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man." — Hillel (ca. 50 BCE-10 CE)
• "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." — Jesus (ca. 5 BCE—33 CE) in the Gospels, Matthew 7:12 (affirming Moses), Luke 6:31 (extending explicitly to non-Jews)
• "Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you." — Muhammad (c. 571 – 632 CE) in The Farewell Sermon.

One might call this crash course in comparative religion quite Unitarian.