To the editor:

I don’t know what most people do with some of their time when they get to be my age, but lately I have been preoccupied with looking at signs and what they mean exactly. I’m talking about the signs that give us directions, inform us of dangerous situations, etc.

I’ll give you just a few examples.

At the ferry terminal where foot passengers gather to go on the ferry, there’s a green sign that says in essence: Wait here until ready to board. Well, if people did that, they would completely block the passengers getting off. Then, there’s a sign on the car deck that says; “Don’t start your engine until directed.”

Well, everyone starts their engine without someone telling them when to do it.

I got shouted at once because I was in front of the line and was waiting for someone to give me directions but no one came to tell me.

Of course, the thing that I’m most confused about are all these speed limit signs. I’ve always assumed that whoever put these signs up had studied the road conditions, amount of traffic, location, etc., and arrived at a speed that would be the safest — and these speed limits would be enforced. So I’ve been doing what the signs say.

Most people, however, who are not following someone who is going the speed limit, are going sometimes as much as 10 miles faster than the speed limit that’s posted no matter where they are. How many drivers are going 20 mph on Winslow Way?

Well. I guess there is something going on that I don’t understand.

I wish Andy Rooney were still alive. I’ll bet he’d have a good explanation for all of this.

RICHARD D. LINDSTROM

Bainbridge Island