Keep your hands off the stop signs

Last week I read in the Phillips County Sheriff’s report that “a male reported witnessing a female take out a stop sign in a residential area; Deputy responded to the call; case file started” and it left my jaw dropped.

Our Malta Mayor, John Demarais mentioned that “someone will probably take them down like they used to” at the Malta City Council Meeting where it was decided to add stops signs all the way up 5th Avenue East after someone who travels that road posted his concerns with safety and a lack of signage on 5th Avenue on social media. This current installation of the Malta City Council has been vigilant in listening to the concerns of its constituents and when Mayor Demarais said someone would likely willy-nilly remove a stop sign because they didn’t like it being there that he was joking. Nope.

Really? Someone didn’t like a stop sign and decided it was okay just to take it down? I wonder if that person’s time — that extra 15-seconds it would take to come to a complete stop at a stop sign — is worth putting other people’s safety in danger. How selfish can a person be? (The answer is “pretty selfish,” apparently.)

I admit that I don’t know the whole story — but believe me that I will follow up on this to see if the person is held accountable for her actions — but I can not think of one good reason for this kind of act other than “I am better than everyone else and I know what it best for everyone.” I invite whoever this person is to write a letter to the editor (or take it to social media) to argue their case.

Aloha and thanks for reading.