When this issue of the newspaper appears on the newsstands late Wednesday afternoon, the Boothbay Region will be smack dab in the middle of its busiest tourist week which traditionally is marked by Windjammer Days. The sidewalks are crowded and the roadways are filled with motorists.

The summer tourist season is in full swing, not only here, but in all coastal communities. It's time for all motorists to practice their best defensive driving. Visitors unfamiliar with the area can come to sudden stops in the middle of the road, or make an abrupt left or right-hand turn, catching other drivers off guard.

Jaywalking is commonplace, with many folks from away mistakenly believing it's OK to walk in the middle of the road or to cross from one side to another at will.

Crosswalks provide those on foot some degree of protection in that the law gives them the right of way, but pedestrians should be aware that even the most cautious driver can't see everything, and second-guessing whether or not someone is going to emerge from behind a parked car and enter a crosswalk poses a potential threat to both the pedestrian and the driver. We must say that we sympathize to some degree with the motorist who must deal with pedestrians who walk directly out onto crosswalks without bothering to make eye contact to make sure they have been seen by the approaching driver. Some pedestrians obviously have an "I have the right of way, deal with it'' attitude which is flawed, to say the least and has left many drivers shaking in their boots after a narrow miss. We're concerned that many young folks appear not to have been taught to look first, then cross, as were those of us who grew up without today's crosswalk law.

With our streets and highways filled with pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, it's crucial that we all look out for one another. We've got plenty of folks with attitude, no matter what their mode of transportation, including motorists with road rage who are convinced it's the other guy who is at fault and therefore not their responsibility to give one single inch. Leaning on the horn if someone slows in front of you, or making obscene gestures isn't the answer. Guess what? That mindset leads to nothing but trouble, especially during these busy summer months when we experience the worst congestion. We depend upon the thousands of visitors who come to the coast every summer, and we need to make the effort to be kind and courteous – you know, treat them the way we would like to be treated if we were away from home or on vacation ourselves.

Try to practice a lot of patience, be tolerant of those who may not be familiar with their surroundings, and be willing to give a little even if the other guy is wrong. It will help us have a safe and pleasant tourist season here on the Maine coast.