Four-Way Stop

Leaving the west side of Saipan and heading away from San Jose, past Chalan Kiya and up the hill towards the Northern Marianas College, it always seems to start raining. It seems as if it could be sunny and hot everywhere else that I go on the island, but as soon as I head inland I get rained on. It isn't quite so much of a problem since I turned in my scooter for a 96 Nissan Sentra. It just barely creeps up the hill at a maximum speed of 20 mph...but that's a whole 'nother post!

Once I crest the hill, the road levels out and signs seem to indicate that you are in the village of DanDan. I get a little confused about this, as it seems a good ways away from the actual homes that make up the neighborhoods of DanDan. Some friends happened to be sitting next to me and they straightened me out. Lower DanDan comes first and then up the hill you skirt San Vicente and come into Upper DanDan.

The point of all this, is that as you hang a right at the complicated intersection right after the fish market that takes you into either San Vicente or DanDan, you come to a crossroads. When you are heading into this crossroads from the south and the west, you have no stop sign, and consequently do not have to stop. (Just to clarify-Stop signs don't really make people stop here).

But if you are approaching the intersection from the back island route, to the north, or from the east coast of San Vicente, you are faced with stop signs. Now, if you still don't see the problem here, it's okay, it isn't exactly readily apparent when you describe it. And for the locals who read this, I am really not complaining. I love this intersection. But it is fundamentally representative of the danger, confusion, half-assing it and just general waste of time, materials and energy that seems to be rampant on Saipan right now.

Still don't get it? Draw a picture. Crossroads. Two way top, but the stop signs are adjacent to each other, rather than opposite. Wouldn't it be better to just do away with one of the signs? Did there used to be more? Am I just a dumb haole who doesn't know what he's talking about? Maybe. Just proceed through the intersection with caution...