Tim Childers’ Blog

Tonight I got my first ticket in a very long time.  Chattanooga has built some roundabouts on heavily traveled roads in town.  While some people find them tricky, after five years in England they are second nature to me.

In case you don’t know, a roundabout is not just a song by the quintessential 70’s rock group, Yes.  It is a circle created at an intersection.  Everyone approaching the intersection looks to their left.  If no one is coming, then you have the right-of-way, and you can cruise on through the roundabout.  If someone is coming to your left, then you must yield until the road is clear again.  It sure beats having to stop at stop signs on every street corner!

Anyway, tonight I went through a roundabout.  No one was coming to my left, but there was a policeman to my right.  No problem, right?  I have the right-of-way and he must yield.  So why did I suddenly see spiraling blue lights in my rear view mirror?

When I pulled over, I asked the nice man what I did wrong.  He said I failed to yield.  When I explained what I knew about roundabouts, he said there had been an accident a day there.  That really didn’t answer my question, so I mentioned that I didn’t think I should have to yield if there was no one coming from my left.  It didn’t really matter how many times I asked, no answer was satisfying.  Instead, I got a court date.

As I drove away somewhat flustered, I wondered how many times I had answered students unsatisfactorily because I didn’t really get the question.  How many kids have left my class wondering what they did wrong?  How many wondered why I couldn’t answer their question?  How many did I dismiss because I wear a teacher’s badge and control the blue lights of my room?

I will fight the ticket.  But there is just a bit of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach about my own classroom.