The intersection of Tamar Drive and Old Montgomery Road is a disaster waiting to happen.

I moved to Columbia six years ago, leaving the crazy traffic issues of Montgomery Country far behind me. Ever since the move I have had to deal with the issues surrounding this neighborhood intersection, located within feet of Jeffers Hill Elementary. I cannot even begin to count the numerous "would-be" accidents that I have almost been involved in due to an egregious error in placement of a stop sign on Old Montgomery Road.

The stop sign on Old Montgomery Road is actually quite big and has a smaller sign on it stating that the traffic on Tamar Drive does not stop and has the right-of-way. It is my belief that, since the sign is set farther back than where the painted line is on the road is, drivers on Old Montgomery Road fail to stop at all, assuming that the drivers on Tamar Drive have a stop and will do so.

At about 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 8, while driving my children to a doctor's appointment, I came very close to being hit on the side of my vehicle after another driver failed to make the stop on Old Montgomery Road. Naturally, I honked at the car and continued on Tamar Drive. There was another driver that also honked at the offending vehicle to make him stop, but he continued on.

The young gentleman who was driving the offending vehicle then got a case of road rage and followed me out onto Route 175 to shout obscenities at me from his vehicle. I am very sure that the noise from the brakes and the car horns must have disturbed the elementary school. Needless to say, the whole experience was unnerving.

I have filed a complaint with the Highway Administration and will notify the police, so that they are aware of the issue. Someone should add flashing lights or move the sign so that it is visible to other drivers.

I hope that those with the power to make a small change for the community's safety will do so speedily and not wait for a terrible tragedy to occur before doing so.

Lisa Almagro

Long Reach