Traffic Sign Confusion

For the entire summer, all of us battle crowds. We sit in traffic to go 2 miles from Ditch Plains to Nick's Beach, we wait 15 minutes in line at the Montauk Bake Shop for a $1.75 coffee, and even longer for a table at the Surf Lodge on Sunday night. This is all expected and in my opinion, a necessary element to the existence of the Hamptons however, I have one thing that continues to boggle my mind.

Ok, so you have the locals and you have the vacationers. At one point I considered myself a vacationer because I grew up in upstate New York and only came to Montauk in the summers. I finished my MBA and this is now the 2nd full year I've lived in Montauk therefore, I guess now I'm in the local category. Locals always look forward to the summer months however, some can be territorial and not very discerning to the "vacationer mentality." People don't always know the "ins and outs" of the town and they are constantly asking questions regarding directions, parking, recreation, etc. This is all expected and understandable, but the question I have to ask is, aren't simple street signs universal? Even though you are in a "foreign" place (Montauk), when you see a STOP sign, don't you know to stop? Conversely, (which seems to be more of a problem) when you DO NOT see a stop sign, you DON'T STOP, right? For some reason, not only are vacationers ignorant to "local knowledge" but they completely forget how to drive properly, or in order words, read/follow street signs. I know its nice to stop at an intersection to let someone go by, but if you DO NOT have a stop sign, there is a reason for it and this is a way to keep traffic flowing. Therefore, to avoid minor accidents and confusion, be considerate but be smart.

So please, next time you are driving in Montauk, STOP when it says to, DO NOT stop when it does not say to, YIELD when it says to, and please drive the speed limit on the stretch.

Thank you.