Motorists traveling north seem to have a hard time turning into our office on Highway 31. There is a good reason for this — there is not a turning lane available for this seemingly very simple move.

“Oh, but there is,” you will probably say. But no, there isn’t. The turning lane in front of our office is for southbound traffic turning left onto Ollie Avenue.

I have actually written on this topic before, but I believe it bears repeating. Plus, it’s been a slow news week.

Just how to turn left into our office is something our employees, including myself, struggle with from time to time. Really, there are only two (legal) options: 1) Either sit in the northbound lane on Highway 31 while people honk at you or use Winn Dixie’s turning lane to pass you, or 2) keep going, turn around somewhere, and turn right into the parking lot.

Everyone has a slightly different method for clearing this traffic hurdle. Your method will greatly affect your relationship with other motorists, however. People who are stuck behind one of us while we are sitting in the northbound lane become understandably irritated, but it’s not our fault. It’s just the weird predicament we are in.

Irate motorists have even turned into our office to confront the person that was in front of them, only to get an explanation of what I am attempting to communicate through this column.

I, however, do not turn left into our office unless there is no traffic coming. I don’t mind taking a few more seconds to turn around for safety’s sake.

This is just something to think about, but don’t think about it too hard. That could result in a traffic ticket or unnecessary crash.

– Scott Mims is the news editor for The Clanton Advertiser. His column appears each Friday. He can be reached at scott.mims@clantonadvertiser.com.