Arrogance or Ignorance?

It's the "me, me, me" mentality that SO many adults & kids have nowadays. We are a nation of self absorbed, self important people, unfortunately.

Ugh. We had this same issue in Cleveland too. It really annoyed me when people would just blow through. ESPECIALLY when they had seen people treating it as a 4-way... and just decide to blow it anyway. What almost makes it worse is when someone TRIES to be nice, and kills the rythm of traffic. People just need to GO when it's their turn, and WAIT when it's not. End of story. I got a kick out of it because I heard someone at the store complaining (VERY loudly) that the police weren't out directing traffic... I had to speak up and say "ya, because it's not like they have anything better to do, like digging people out of their houses or looking for bodies."

The school bus thing, I hear ya too. You have to stop if you are behind, next to, or on the other side. The only exception is a divided highway! Sometimes the driver will wave you on, and that's the ONLY time it's OK to pass the bus. A school bus with lights flashing is the SAME THING as a stop sign!!!

I'm not as lenient as some of you-I vote arrogance! It's the attitude that "I'm running late for work" or just generally-"I've got somewhere to be. I can make that light or beat the bus" attitude. Our bus stop is on a busy street at a light & I HATE it. At least once a day someone will run the light-very blantantly-after dropping their kid at the stop. The bus driver will honk at anyone passing her while her lights are out. I really wish there was something that we could do to knock some sense into those drivers.

Yes. 3 ways, actually. Ignorance x2 both not knowing the law AND not knowing there's a light there!!!

Especially at night (even if you live in the area) it can be hard to spot an intersection. If you DON'T live in the area, it can be difficult to impossible to know that there is ***usually*** a light (day or night).

We have something of the opposite problem, currently... we have a lot of construction and new lights are going up. About half the people are stopping at them, while the residents are just taking the last few months of NOT having to stop.

I live in Texas, and last night my mother and I were driving. At night some lights blink yellow and red (red of course to the cross traffic that usually isn't heavy). Well, we are driving along in the far left lane, three lanes of traffic each way, the middle lane had a car stopped at the light which was yellow for us. The car behind him almost hit him because he was stopped instead of going through with caution. My mom and I had a discussion on that how some people get their licenses and still don't know the laws.

But to answer your question, if the light are out, no cop around, treat it as a 4 way stop.

we have that issue alot in the winter. I dont know how people can think they can just drive right through. they are suppose to be treated like a four way

I'm going to go ahead and cast my vote for.......IGNORANCE! LOL After all, sometimes "stupid" IS what makes the world go 'round.

These are probably the same people doing that that have their child safety seats installed improperly.

Good points!

Ignorance gets my vote!

Great post.
I think it's arrogance. A "Hey the rules aren't in place-I'm gonna do what I want!" kinda mindset. Who else would blaze threw a intersection?

It's very unfortunate that there are people in this world who think that bad stuff only happens to other people. And that they are so selfish as to put other peoples lives at risk.
Thanks for calling attention to this issue!

whenever we have lights out in my area, i have to remind my husband that they are supposed to be treated as 4-way stops, because he was never aware of that rule.

Both. We have this happen a lot at 4 way stops let alone lights that are out. Happens sometimes during hot weather and rolling blackouts.

On the other side of things, here some of the Stoplights are not set up to be 4 way stops at all! You have to look at several lanes of traffic because there are 2 or 3 in one direction, not counting the left hand turn lane multiply that by 3 you are watching for your turn to go and your head spins.

Be careful everyone!

Generally I think it is ignorance. Around here I have found minor intersections where neither branch is dominant people observe it as a four way stop. It is on major roads where one is a highway and the other a cross street that people on the highway don't stop. I sometimes wonder if they don't think what would be the normal malfunction signal applies.

Hwy 21 is close to me, at night or if there is a signal malfunction the highway get a flashing yellow (caution) where the side streets get red (stop). The logic, if you can call it that, fails, since the law is four way stop since not everyone know what it would look like flashing....still...it would explain the pattern of idiocy.

Minor intersections get a four way flashing red at malfunction.

I vote for ignorance (with a smidgen of arrogance thrown in).

Lack of knowledge (or remembrance) of the rules of the road. After all, we only take the written driver's test once... many people "cram" for the exam, pass it, and drive off in ignorant bliss.

We dealt with this for months post Katrina - most of the horrid drivers what we came to call "Disaster Sight Seers" - those who came through the Coast not to help, but to look over our disaster. And had obviously gotten their driver's license years ago from a Cracker Jack box of treats.

I think this is akin to not pulling over when an ambulance is trying to pass.

Both unbelievable rude and terrifying.

God Bless

I think it's both. The local radio stations here remind people to stop like it's a 4 way stop when the lights are out. People 1) don't know or 2) don't care.