Last year, we ran a little manifesto called Covered Bridge Rules. In honor of several nearby bridge renovations, we thought we'd run a refresher. You see, we believe that covered bridges are a metaphor for life, and the Rules are a metaphor for lifestyle. Think about navigating supermarkets, roadways, even ski area lift lines. It's about kindness, it's about consideration, it's about Vermont. And so, a review:

Let's start with who goes first. This is fairly simple, but frequently misunderstood. In a word, alternate. A car from one direction goes through, and then a car from the other direction goes through. It's quite civil. Yet sometimes, visitors arrive with a freeway mentality, and they feel they must get aggressive and seize an opening like an on-ramp on the Merritt Parkway. But in reality, there's just no place for aggression on a covered bridge. It's a place for peaceful passage from one point to another. It's a time for taking one's turn. And it feels good.

Next, and perhaps most importantly, there's the wave. When you've waited your turn, and the car from the opposite direction passes by you, it is customary for both parties to give a little wave. Not a parade wave, not a hello-from-across-the-street wave, but a small acknowledgement that you know the rules and appreciate the civility. Varieties abound; there's the pointer finger wave, the peace sign wave, the four-finger wave, but please, never a full hand wave. The rule of thumb is that the thumb stays on the steering wheel. And it's quick, like a little salute. Some keep their wave up until they receive reciprocation, but most just assume the passer will wave back, so they just do a quick up and down. It's just the way it is.

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