The Dairy Queen Lane of the PM Highway

[XLFD]

Nothing in the Ludington area is more of a sign of pleasantly warm weather than the spring opening of the Dairy Queen out on Old 31 (PM Highway).  When word gets out that the temperature is high enough and the DQ is back in business, the popular response is to get some cool treats immediately.  Therein lies the problem. 

The single cloverleaf of the DQ's drive-thru just doesn't always have the capacity to handle the influx of people with a jones for their favorite ice cream concoction to beat the unexpected heat that could leave in a matter of minutes; this is Michigan, after all.   What you get is a situation like what happened above from the warm weekend we just had.  Cars lined up along the right lane of the PM Highway, which presents a bit of a hazard to those who were planning to make a right turn later on, who now have to bounce into one of two left-turn lanes and go around the line and change lanes once again when the hazard is passed.

And that might not seem like an issue if you've seen this all your life and know how to handle it, but the uninitiated can easily find themselves caught in the line before they know what has happened and may be stuck for a while if another car pulls behind them and the line is moving slowly.  Some undoubtedly will just give up and become part of the ever-increasing line, it's almost as if this may be the clever idea of the owner of the establishment.

But going around or getting stuck in the line isn't the only hazard created, as those who make it through the line and get their order still need to get out.  And if that line happens to extend beyond the exiting point, you need to hope that the vehicles in line allow you to leave-- which they should if they want some goodies and want to advance, but not everyone thinks a step or two ahead.  Fortunately, the red SUV above is letting other vehicles out, but even this is not without danger as it may be hard to catch fast-moving traffic from behind the lined-up vehicles.  

Then there's the people that don't realize the line is backed up and try to get in the normal spot for drive-thru traffic before realizing they likely won't be given 'cuts' and decide to get to the back of the line.  It's not unheard of seeing these people pull a dangerous U-turn and go back to the end of the line.  And traffic heading south will do that same U-turn move to get in line when it's backed up into the highway when they can't just turn into the DQ drive-thru.  

Using enforcement to keep the line from going out onto Old 31 isn't too practical, nor is it clear that traffic violations are taking place when the DQ Lane starts forming.  Technically, you're not legally stopping, standing, or parking when you're in a drive thru, it's more like stop and go traffic.  If police use MCL 257.676b(1) by claiming such vehicles interfere with the normal flow of traffic on the highway, how do you show that, and from a practical view, how do you safely write tickets to all those in violation?  Perhaps signs warning about traffic violations and a traffic camera might work, but you would have some upset people showing up who waited a half hour for a couple of dilly bars and got a $60 ticket in the mail to add to their monthly bills.  

When one considers that the southern parking lot could be reengineered by DQ management at a modest cost to accommodate another line of customers along its perimeters, one wonders why it hasn't been pursued up to now (maybe because the DQ Lane may work in their favor).  If MDOT or PM Township wanted to solve this, they probably could with a heavy hand towards the business to make the area safer.  That may just be the best step, but even then, what happens on those rare days that both lanes are full of customers and another improvisation may need to take place?

Do you have any ideas on how to best handle the various traffic hazards and problems that seem to reoccur at this same place every year?  Let's hear them.

[woodsman]

Now you went to meddling, Tom.. 

[Willy]

I don't see this as a traffic problem or a situation where QD should redesign it's property to access more vehicles. This is a people problem or I should say a lack of common sense problem. If the damn line to order ice cream is full then leave and come back some other time. Don't sit there and block a lane on a busy road just so you can purchase ice cream. Wait and get ice cream later. Those cars blocking a traffic lane should be issued citations because what they are doing is dangerous and can potentially cause a deadly crash. Better yet! Just close the drive thru and open more walk up windows.

[XLFD]

One of the extra problems is that before the school year ends, the DQ has a major labor shortage before 4 PM every day, so that at least during such time, the walk-up windows are closed, necessitating a drive-thru visit, where the service may not be so quick.  

We must also realize that at best a slim majority of locals have enough common sense to not continue lining up onto the highway, so there will be people, if not the first one or two, that form the DQ Lane.  When the tourists are in town, you can throw all claims of common sense out the drive-thru window, they left whatever they had back at their home.

[Freedom Seeker]

I agree, Willy. The road congestion IS the fault of the customer/the driver for impeding traffic.  Mason County sheriff (MSCO) should be there at least giving warning that "drivers" not use state highway as a turning lane, impeding traffic at the most congested corner of two major state highways in our area.

However, the Dairy Queen management needs to help out the situation to do all they can to help traffic get in their parking lot.  Hire more people, open more doors,  registers, DO what you need to do DQ. DQ should also be given a warning by MSCO.

Where is the sheriff patrol (writing history books, oblivious to what's happening)?  Sheriff Cole, what would your grandpa do?  Bragging is really not flattering as a public servant, if we are not doing our jobs in the present.  When there is an accident at this intersection, should MSCO be counted in that history?  Or is MSP responsible? 

[stump]

lets see, a double dip cone or wathever the bigger swirl is or buy a gallon of ice cream at walmart for the same price or less with no waiting. Not a hard decision for me to make..