A reader pointed out to us that there has been some sloppy driving around town lately. And then the snow fell, and the driving took a turn for the worse.

There is little doubt that when in a place like Rochester, Mankato or the Twin Cities, out-of-town drivers are doing their duty to pay attention and follow the rules. But when they get back to their hometown — in our case, Albert Lea — some drivers get lazy again.

They cut corners. They ignore lane stripes. They don’t use blinkers. They slow down for stop signs but still roll through. They don’t stop for pedestrians waiting at the curb. They make phone calls and send text messages while at the wheel.

What’s worse is that they sometimes don’t even pull over to the side for emergency vehicles with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

Look, driving in Albert Lea is just as important as driving in those other cities. The people the sloppy drivers put at risk are just as valuable and necessary to the community as the folks in the big cities. We ask that people with driver’s licenses sharpen their automobile-driving skills while in our city. And we ask that drivers take extra caution when the roads turn slippery. Each and every driver must relearn how to steer and brake carefully on snowy roads.

And most of all, pull over for emergency vehicles. Getting to a destination can wait. Frankly, we wish more drivers received tickets for this violation.