THE THIN YELLOW LINE

"Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through."

JONATHAN SWIFT

I don't think it's really that complicated: there are single and double yellow lines on roads as well as broken yellow lines sometimes on either side of a solid line. There are white lines as well, but to keep things simple, I will skip them here - the point will be the same. (And, as an aside, other countries have blue, red, and green lines)

Yellow lines came into being in the 1950's, when they designated parking, waiting, and loading areas. In general, they indicated restrictions of one sort or another. 

Today, many road markings are not paint but are actually thermoplastic which is put in place while hot. The material is more durable than paint, and won't fade as much from being driven over for several years. 

Cutting to the chase, whatever the material, the lines are there to set a standard of behavior; they are 'rules of the road' that people are expected to follow to maintain order and safety. I know now and then, there is a time when someone will ignore the lines and, for whatever reason, scoff at the law to pass someone, etc., but  there are also people who may be selectively blind and don't pay attention to or heed the lines at all. They are of the 'the laws are for other people' ilk.

As long as people acknowledge those lines, things are relatively fine, which gets me to the main point here. There are people who ignore the rules and legalities of things and don't care about much except themselves.

My family members and I are basically rule followers, so, in theory, we don't need any laws. I have said during my teaching years of school and society, there should be only one rule: 'Be appropriate.' Of course, the 'What is appropriate?" becomes the problem. Some people are raised to scoff at the law while others feel they are above any laws because the laws are for the little people.

Bottom line, society is held together by a thin line (blue, yellow, etc), As we are seeing in the news, that line is getting thinner and thinner being stretched almost to a breaking point. As soon as laws no longer matter, we are done. We're getting close.

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A lawyer (or politician) with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns." 

MARIO PUZO