Local Man Takes Three Rights, Ends Up Completely Wrong
HELENA, MT — Hoping to outsmart afternoon traffic, area resident Luke
Harmon executed a strategic sequence of three rights Monday, successfully avoiding a left turn and unintentionally completing a 97-mile detour.
“I hate left turns,” Harmon said,
recalling the moment he decided to try his “traffic hack” at the Oak Street intersection. “Three rights seemed like a clean solution. Then I saw a ‘Welcome to Helena’ sign and realized I might have overcommitted.”
Harmon reports the maneuver began smoothly — his first right took him past a coffee shop he’d been meaning to try, the second right felt “promising,” and the third sent him headed northbound onto Highway 287 with no exits for miles.
“I figured I’d turn around at the next light,” Harmon explained. “Turns out the next light was in another time zone.”
Friends say Harmon is known for his aggressive aversion to left turns, often circling blocks in downtown Bozeman rather than waiting at intersections. “It’s pathological,” said neighbor Jeff Miles. “One time he took four rights to avoid a left into his own driveway. Ended up in Livingston.”
Upon arriving in Helena, Harmon decided to make the best of it by grabbing lunch, filling his gas tank, and reflecting on his navigation choices. He plans to return to Bozeman via a single left turn “just to see how bad it really is.” •
