You grind to a halt, tighten your grip on the wheel and glare defiantly at the three other drivers. This is a test of nerve, courage and driving audacity. Who will go first, while the others simply sit and watch?
Welcome to Connecticut: the state of four-way stop signs. OK, so it may be officially nicknamed “The Constitution State.” However, the state’s apparent obsession with these red octagons is certainly a more noticeable characteristic.
An overwhelming percentage of Fairfield University’s students hail from states other than good old Connecticut. Living in this state, students must learn to appreciate (or at least deal with) some of the quirky differences they will inevitably stumble upon.
Encountering Connecticut’s plethora of stop signs is certainly unavoidable. For example, traveling those 2.1 miles from campus to ‘the point’, one is forced break a total of eight times in front of red stop signs.
Students from New Jersey are also in for quite a surprise here in CT when they pull up to a gas station only to find that there is no attendant to “fill it up regular, cash please.” Pump your own gas? Why, that’s as crazy as making a left turn on a busy street. Oh wait, you can do that in Connecticut, too. No more of those Jersey jug handles and circles. You are free to pull a U-turn or hang a left almost anywhere.
“I’ll never get used to driving in Connecticut with all these four-way stop signs,” said Jackie Mautone ’08, originally from New Jersey. “I’m always asking my friends who’s turn is it? And then I have to pump my own gas on top of it.”
Pennsylvania and South Jersey Wawa-lovers are feeling a bit deprived here in Connecticut. They must settle for 7-11 and the On The Run convenience store to satisfy those late night binges early morning coffee cravings.
Yet, this doesn’t seem to be enough. There are actually two Facebook groups, “Wawa Lovers” and “We Heart Wawa,” dedicated to this beloved convenience store chain. The Duchess may be the fast food chain exclusive to Connecticut, but it does not boast Facebook group dedications.
Many of Fairfield’s students come from even further than the tri-state area. For them, the changes are even more striking. Four-way stop signs are the least of their concerns.
“It’s a totally different world for me compared to where I’m from,” said Hawaii native Jazmin Pa’akaula ’08. “The whole East Coast is different in general. My biggest thing is that it’s weird not being surrounded by the ocean and not being able to surf year round. Everything is different from the way people dress to how they act, food, weather, and even how they talk.”
Tom Bingham ’08, an Ohio native, notices a drastic difference in cuisine.
“There’s a lot more seafood restaurants than steak places, which made me feel like I was in a foreign country at first,” said Bingham.
Of course, there are a lot of interesting aspects of good old Connecticut that even Connecticut residents may be unaware of. According to the state of Connecticut website (www.ct.gov), Connecticut is home to the first hamburger, helicopter, frisbee, and color TV. The town of Windham is famous for a bridge decorated by huge statues of frogs atop spools of thread. Both PEZ and the World Wrestling Federation have their headquarters in CT. Even the WIFFLE Ball has its roots in Fairfield County. And finally, New Haven is the birthplace of President George W. Bush.
The next time you are sitting at a four-way stop sign, instead of getting aggravated at this crazy state, simply grin and proudly hum Connecticut’s prestigious state song, “Yankee Doodle.”
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