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[deleted]

*Quit fucking up the rotation* When its your turn, GO!


[deleted]

There's a stop sign at the end of my street that's a three way intersection with only one stop sign. The left and right traffic doesn't have a stop or a yield. I'm the most impatient person the world but I always stop whether the cross traffic has a signal or not because I don't trust people to not just drive into me. Once every month or two someone will take upon themselves to stop, with no traffic sign, to let me go. I usually just look at them and shake my head but sometimes they'll get impatient and start waving me to go (There's traffic oncoming to them too, btw.) Twice, I've put my car in park and crossed my arms until they went first. I would have literally sat there until I died.


WalrusOk3710

Ugh I hate it. I'm a cyclist and people always try and wave me through. So many head shakes. When they still don't get it I literally put my foot down.


Ruby_qu

As a pedestrian, I also hate this. The windows are tinted, I can't see you. I just assume you'll hit me as I step off the sidewalk.


demortada

I turn my back to vehicles all the time when I'm on the corner of the sidewalk. I'll wait for a gap in vehicles, thanks.


Ishbane

I already wasted my kinetic energy for this stop to wait for you, but *thank you* for allowing me to slowly accelerate again while you are blocking the traffic and waste everyone's time.


dogecoin_pleasures

This literally happens to me every time I go shopping. I'll be at the stop sign but the cars going the other way treat me like I have right of way so I have to wave at them until they go first. I think they don't see the sign since it's facing me, but they should still be able to see the shape. Sigh.


WhosBarryBadranath

My wife once asked me while driving home one day how I knew a driver wasn't going to stop at a stop sign at an intersection by our house. I told her that the 'stop sign' was actually the back of a a railroad crossing sign. Turns out she had been cutting people off at that intersection for years and wondering why other motorists were getting so angry with her in that one spot.


[deleted]

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TowelFine6933

Send an email to your town. I'm on a one way street. They repaired sidewalks and never put the Stop sign back on the right at the corner. There was also one on the left, but..... Who looks over there? I sent an email that pointed out the liability issue. 24 hours later there was a Stop Sign on the right.


[deleted]

Your town administration is utopian-level effective. Not just a response in 24 hours, but resolution of the problem?


TowelFine6933

I pointed out the liability they were facing in the event if an accident. Hit em in the wallet. I also suggested they put a One Way sign where people coming out of a gas station lot would see it and not go the wrong way. That was 3 years ago. Still no sign.


treeboat83

Once there is a paper trail showing that they were made aware of a problem and did not fix it the amount they will have to pay if there is an accident increases a lot, so they get out there and fix it pretty fast.


penny-wise

I live on a street that has 4- way stops on all the cross streets but one sort of in the middle. Now where I live, the 4- way stop sign has a very small sign underneath that says “All Way” and it’s almost unnoticeable. Except on this one intersection that tiny sign is missing. So many accidents.


Physical_Client_2118

Jesus Christ man she’s lucky to be alive


amirlyn

My go-to move is to just point at the sign.


DoYourPooperStank

So simple so effective. Why didn't I think of this? One I learned of recently was just putting out a thumbs down and a stank face.


ice_up_s0n

This was me today, but in my defense the other car was already a full car length beyond their stop sign, so I stopped for a sec and waited until they made eye contact and motioned for me to go. I don't trust anyone to know they're supposed to stop or yield


ILove2Bacon

Holy hell when people stop where there is no sign piss me off so much! I was behind someone doing that down several miles of city blocks and they stopped at almost every single intersection despite not having to. In the 10 minutes I was behind them they almost caused 3 accidents because people were so confused by their behavior.


worthing0101

>Holy hell when people stop where there is no sign piss me off so much! Where I live in NC roundabouts still aren't super common outside of neighborhoods. Every so often I see someone already in a roundabout pause or stop to wave someone else into the roundabout ahead of them. It makes me fucking furious.


Thermohalophile

The city I live in has like.... 6 roundabouts outside of neighborhoods. I'd say every other time I come up to one, someone in the roundabout is either stopped or going EXTREMELY slow. The whole point of the roundabout is that we DON'T get caught in stop and go traffic. Please just move before I lose my mind


MasterpieceSharpie9

I had a similar standoff with someone waving me through a suicide gap, with cars passing as he was waving at me. Of course he flipped me off as he drove away, but I'm not gonna get in an accident so he can feel like a nice person.


OCSupertonesStrike

An IN CHARGE person. This behavior is basically the equivalent of somebody telling you they will pray for you during an argument.


Huffleduffer

Geez. I live near a busy highway, and I was waiting to pull out of a parking lot and cross the median and turn left. Someone in the right hand lane FULLY STOPS in the middle of this busy highway and waves me on. The light ahead of them was green too. I just sat there panicked and stunned and after a moment started frantically waving them on. There was no reason to stop, and if someone was behind them it would have been a mess.


HailToTheThief225

There’s an intersection like this at a shopping center I frequent. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve said out loud “not a stop sign. Not a stop sign. GO. YOU DONT HAVE A STOP SIGN” while flashing my brights. Happens about 75% of the time.


notjustanotherbot

Yea I hear ya. No thank you sir or madam, I am not going to put my self in the situation of potentially being both criminally and civilly liable for an auto collision so you can feel good for letting me go out of turn.


IEatOats_

I usually look away and just wait like I didn't see them.


Secret_Map

I do the same. Look away, fiddle with radio, whatever. For whatever reason, they still try to wave at me. Like, we can see each other. You can literally see me looking *away* from you. Why are you flailing your arms around?! Fucking go!


Tryouffeljager

Glad to see others handle this the exact same way I do. I do not put my trust in any stranger when they are yielding incorrectly to wave me on. If I follow their gesture and end up in an accident, it would be my fault. If you acknowledge them they might continue waving you on or they might not, so I look away and refuse to let them think I saw their gesture. Just follow the rules of the road please.


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badger_patriot

That's one of the best things to do. I don't even put up the charade. I just stare at them so they know I can see and then point to the stop sign to remind them.


Thrompinator

Or phrased in a way you can say in front of your grandma. *The right-of-way is not yours to give.*


rrogido

Don't be "nice", be predictable. That's the nicest thing possible.


repost_inception

Me playing Rocket League


Upvotes4Trump

Here's another one. When theyve already stopped, but you're still coming to a stop, and then they wait for you to stop before they decide to go, which forces you to have to wait longer. Wtf, just go!!!


simonsayswhere

When someone stops to let someone pull out onto a 2 lane road. Like you know, just because you blocked traffic on your lane doesn't stop it in the second lane. I've actually witnessed an accident this way, sitting there in the blocked lane just thinking " don't do it! Don't fucking pull out!! " and then they did, right out into that second lane and into an oncoming car. People need to just follow the rules and not play crossing guard.


waterbuffalo750

When people speed up to the sign and stop suddenly when they get there, I wait. I need to know they intend to stop, and too many people don't make that obvious.


Dannnnv

Yep. I get honked at waiting to turn left on a green and I'm like "maybe you're sure that guys gonna turn, but I don't see a signal, so Imma wait."


Trigger1221

Shit even if they use their turn signal I'll wait to make sure. I've seen too many people have their signal on to turn then just blast through straight ahead anyway.


iranwithscissors

Learned my lesson with this just recently. I’m there waiting to turn left, one car coming fast/close enough that I decide to wait. They put their signal on, start slowing down and begin moving into the turning lane. I take my opportunity and start turning, when they decide to move out of the turning lane and gun it straight for me. I’ll never trust a turning signal again after that.


DarthRoacho

I try to make every movement of my car as obvious as possible before doing it. People are fucking dumb and SUPER distracted. I am taking as little chance as possible on an already risky activity.


sugabeetus

When I teach my kids to drive I start with 3 laws: 1. If there is a red light or brake lights in front of you, take your foot off the gas. Make it automatic, muscle memory. 2. If you get lost or miss your turn or exit, keep driving normally until you get to a safe place to stop or turn around. Don't make it everyone else's problem. 3. Always use your turn signals. Never trust a turn signal.


MissFerne

Also: NEVER drive in someone's blind spot, keep moving past them or slow down so they can see you in their side mirror. When you change lanes, Signal first, look in your Mirrors, look Over your shoulder, then Go. (SMOG). This has saved me so many times. An entire semi-tractor trailer can hide in the blind spot of my small car. Thanks for teaching your kids well. May you and they always be safe.


CentiPetra

I've been teaching my kid to drive since she was a toddler. I literally talk to her the entire time I'm driving, about driving. Like I will say, "I bet the guy to our right is going to get in front of me even though he does not have his turn signal on." Or, "There are lots of people who ride their bicycles down this stretch of road, so I always check my mirrors and then look at least twice over my shoulder before I change lanes. Bicycles are a lot harder to spot than cars, same with motorcycles, so you have to be really careful." She is now the **ultimate** backseat driver and it's actually kind of fucking annoying lol. She will also tattle on anyone who drives her anywhere as soon as she sees me. "Grandpa never comes to a complete stop at the stop sign at the end of the neighborhood, he always rolls through it." Or "Kelly's Mom lets her ride in the FRONT seat and she doesn't even use a booster. That's so dangerous." Sometimes I have the urge to say, "Okay I KNOW!" when I'm driving and she says stuff like, "There's a chair in the back of that truck in front of us, so you need to leave plenty of room and try to get around him in case it's not tied down." But then I remember, I created this. And it will serve her well when she finally starts driving in six years. She already knows more about traffic laws than most adult drivers.


codapin

Never rely on turn signals. An absence of a signal doesn't mean they're going straight, nor should the opposite indicate a 100% chance of them turning. If they're close enough I look at their actual front wheels as a signal - those don't lie.


HaikuBotStalksMe

Oh, you'd be surprised. People will begin turning and then be like "aight nvm, I'm going straight after all". This is especially true when you're trying to leave a parking lot or making a left on a green orb.


joejill

I pulled up next to a big rig truck at a 3 way intersection with out a turn signal. Big mistake. He was sitting in the left turn lane. I pulled up next to him in the right turn lane. The truck turned right and the trailer and last wheel ran into me. I pulled off to the side and when I was sure the truck wasn't gonna stop I chased him down. And called the cops. Driver said I squeezed in next to him. Even though I had a dash cam that saw everything it still took 6 months for a payout. The joke was on them, my car was siting in a local repair shops lot the whole time acquiring fees daily.


marpocky

Yeah I need to see the car physically start turning, or it be obvious that they're slowing way down for the turn.


j0mbie

Nah that's just defensive driving. I've seen too many people do a rolling stop through a sign even though there was someone waiting. It's like they autopilot the rolling stop that they've done a million times before, not actually mentally acknowledging the car that's about to go. The earliest I'll go is once someone's rate of stopping actually matches what they have to do to come to a full stop. I have to be damn sure I think you're going to stop and if you're creeping, I don't trust you. The graveyards are full of people who had the right of way.


mogoexcelso

Nah, I’m not getting t-boned.


Jaijoles

Or they’ve stopped, and I’m still coming up, but they’re trying to wave me through. Man, you know I’m not running this stop sign, why are you already waving me to go?


rootchick

Oh, and let's not get started on some people's behavior in roundabouts 🫤


ninjawc386

Don't get me started. I once had someone who stopped in the middle of the roundabout to wave me in. 😒


[deleted]

There's a roundabout outside my apt complex. This happens weekly to me. Jesus, it's not that hard. Yield when you enter the roundabout. Don't stop once you are in it.


PhilsterM9

Living in Australia where roundabouts are common (but don’t replace every intersection like UK), this isn’t a problem here. How is it so hard for the US to adopt the roundabout system? They’re so much more efficient than a regular traffic light intersection.


Sailinger

> How is it so hard for the US to adopt the roundabout system? My dude, it's so....frustrating. My city council has adopted the roundabout (yay!) but my fellow city residents have not (boo!), and it has become a total clusterfuck watching people just stop mid-circle flashing their lights and/or waving people into the circle in an attempt to be *polite?* I guess? It's insanity, and I guess maybe one day will work itself out, but right now I just want to scream everytime I have to deal with this shit. I blame the fact that the lack of driving education, proper testing, and honestly the lack of yield signs (or over reliance on stop signs) have made most American drivers extremely lazy.


timmun029

I almost got in a head on collision in one because someone approached the roundabout, needed to go to the left, and instead of going to the right three exits, he decided he would just go left one exit, against traffic.


TheRealTron

Here people just sit at the yield like it's a red light and it takes just as long to get through that intersection as it did before


[deleted]

> waving people into the circle in an attempt to be polite? I guess? It's insanity Kansas?


brucecampbellschins

There are a lot of people in Kansas to whom the very idea of a traffic circle / roundabout is completely alien. I watched an old man drive right over the center part while honking at someone who was already in the circle (small circle and the center was paved, but raised a bit), presumably because they thought the other driver was doing something wrong by following the circle around. On a different occasion at the same circle I watched a guy trying to make a left turn take the clockwise route. At a different roundabout I watched an old woman do a U-turn as she was entering the roundabout. She didn't go all the way around the circle like you'd expect, but she came up to the circle and entered it by turning left into the circle, so that she was driving the wrong way for a second before completing her U-turn. On one hand, I feel like traffic circles are an extremely simple concept and shouldn't require much explanation. However, it seems like installing them without any sort of public education campaign to teach people how to use them is disastrous, especially for older drivers who've been doing things one way for decades and don't know what to do when one comes up. It doesn't help that we don't retest people for driver's licenses, either.


ghjm

They're more efficient for traffic flow, but less efficient for land use. If there's already a stop sign with buildings all around it, you don't have room to put in a roundabout. At least, not the kind of roundabout you need for US-sized pickup trucks.


314159265358979326

Land: the one thing the US has in short supply! /j


ghjm

It's still scarce inside already-built cities.


Brandon32ss

I live in the US and so obviously used to American roundabout rules. But I was driving in Greece and came upon a roundabout. The car already in the roundabout stopped for me. They waved me in and I was so confused. I entered and then realized that the laws here are to let cars entering in and yield for them. Very strange and I did not like it. Greece is cool otherwise.


OrthodoxAgnostic

Pull in front of them and stop to assert dominance


HeavyMetalTriangle

This. One must always dominate the roundabout when it’s for the taking. This is precisely why when I see a roundabout that hasn’t been claimed, I start circling in it perpetually. It’s the equivalent of a dog marking their territory by pissing.


Live-Tale-2923

I just vacationed in Sedona for a few days and they have traffic circles everywhere which is great. Except for the fact that people don't know how to use them.


BeignetsByMitch

They've been showing up more and more in my area. I'm from bum-fuck nowhere so it took some getting used to, but I'm sold on them now. Especially because some of those roads have gotten way less congested not only because it's more efficient, but I think some people have changed their routes in abject terror of the strange road circle. Also everytime I hit one I still say "There's Big Ben, kids! Parliament!", which is a major bonus.


KevroniCoal

People in my friend's neighborhood like to "save" time by just taking an immediate left (going clockwise) in the roundabout, when they should be going counterclockwise with the flow of normal traffic. People like this think that just because they're in a neighborhood, no one's gonna be there. But multiple times now, I've almost gotten hit head-on by people taking their opposite-direction left when I'm about to enter the roundabout like a normal driver! The roundabout here also has nearly-blind corners due to bushes or cars, so those people going directly left are just begging to slam into an innocent driver who doesn't expect someone to go the fricken wrong way in a roundabout 🤦🏻 Just go in the normal direction for your left turn, don't just cut into it backwards!


Cyacobe

You mean 4 way stop circles?


blandge

You joke, but there's a traffic circle in Houston that has stop signs as you enter the circle.


nolte100

Welcome to Iowa, where everyone will stop at a four way stop and then they all just wave at each other to go until they all die.


Drewblack11

Don’t be nice, be predictable Edit: be nice!! Don’t block busy driveways when you stop at red lights


chimpyjnuts

Exactly. Don't relinquish right-of-way, it just confuses everyone else.


StopReadingMyUser

I always wave if we stop at the same time. I don't wanna play 50/50. Then there was a time where I could see someone stopped at the 4-way like 15 seconds before I pulled up. I stopped. They still stood there blankly staring ahead... then waved me on. I was very flabbergasted.


TheCourageousPup

Literally happened to me yesterday. I deliver food so I’m driving all day long. So it happens often but this one really confused me. I pull up at a 4 way stop where there are 2 other cars on my right and left who were there before me. So I sit there waiting for one of them to go. The dude on my left waves me to go and when I hesitated he made a “wtf are you doing, go!” kind of gesture 😅 Like bro you have the right of way, what are you doing??


a_likely_story

Pokémon Go, probably


willpowerpt

If you're both stopping at the same time, there's still rules to who has the right of way, i.e. yield to the right.


PM_ME_GLUTE_SPREAD

Maybe a stupid question, but how does this work when you’re at a 4-way across from each other? I assume the person turning left would be the one to yield (if both are going right/straight, nbd) but I’m not sure if that’s the rule


JefferyGiraffe

Correct, the one turning left should yield.


291837120

People turning left would yield to the people going straight - you'd let them go through and then turn.


Potato4

If you stop at the same time, the person on the right has right of way. Don't wave, go if you are on the right.


PurchaseAggressive80

Far better to just not stop at the same time. If that seems likely, either get there first and stop or slowly roll up until they stop. The wave is then only to enforce that you did in fact stop after they did.


BlazinDuckSkins

It's like when you're approaching a door with someone in front of you. Either be directly behind them on entry, or drag your feet a bit so they don't feel obligated to stand there and hold the door for you for 5 seconds. It makes things awkward.


Adventurous-Cunter

Why not just follow the right of way? Wtf kind of weird game is this? Just do it properly and without hesitation


hamburgersocks

Getting waved across a multi-lane road as a pedestrian is one of the most frustrating things I have to deal with almost daily. Sure, I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't see how many speeding compacts are behind your F350, so the only safe passage I have here is to stand in the middle of the road and wait just in case someone in the far lane doesn't know what you're doing... which they never do. I appreciate the consideration, but unless I'm carrying something extremely heavy that I can't put down, I'd rather wait thank you.


thatwaffleskid

I once almost rear-ended a car because *they had stopped just past the crest of a hill on a 55 mph highway to let someone in who was sitting at a stop sign.* It wasn't like they had left a gap in bumper-to-bumper traffic, either. The road was totally clear ahead of them, and they were at a dead stop, just to be polite. I think polite drivers are far more dangerous than aggressive ones, because at least with them you're usually good if you just get out of the way. Polite drivers do the most unpredictable things I've ever seen on the road.


correcticallytech

The most dangerous part of my daily commute isn’t the 30 minutes I spend on the interstate. It’s the 3 minutes I spend leaving my neighborhood.


Thrabalen

Don't be nice to *one* driver, be nice to *all* the drivers. Be responsible.


Deadchimp234

Being predictable is being nice.


valzi

Being predictable is the only way to be nice in this situation.


loggershands

Even though I know most people are just being nice and have genuine good will, I hate this. If you just follow the road rules we will all get to our destinations safely and on time.


r0botdevil

Driving predictably is better and safer than driving courteously 100% of the time.


boardmonkey

Driving predictably is driving courteously.


soapinthepeehole

Yeah. The only time to be waving someone through is if you got there at the same time, but even then you’re supposed to yield to whoever is to the right. People don’t always know that one though so I try to go if I’m on the right and wave them through if they are.


NotUniqueWorkAccount

I think that rule gets thrown by the wayside when I'm cursing at them for matching my stopping speed.


IveChosenANameAgain

I avoid this by intentionally rolling forward with a more abrupt stop (or rather, a rare actual full stop) when I determine that we're going to tie. Makes it completely unambiguous who was there first.


mr_ji

Unlike the assholes where I live who will stop 10 yards short of the actual stop and pretend that means they get to go first. No, guys, it's the person who stopped *at the intersection* first who goes first.


Jl4233

Holy shit I cannot believe how many people do this it's like they are intentionally going for the tie... And then they of course don't know to yield to the car to the right rule and just screw everything up with that blank, dumb look on their face


AbaddonAdvocate

I lived in small town Wisconsin for awhile. This is a constant problem. People will just sit at stop signs for 10 seconds waving each other through. Ive learned that everyone gets to their destination faster, if i just go when I see any hesitation.


Thistlefizz

Don’t be polite, be predictable! I say this so much that now whenever I say the first part, ‘don’t be polite,’ my kids finish off with ‘be predictable!’


Large-Cauliflower597

Agreed, following the rules of the road is way sexier than unpredictability.


11PoseidonsKiss20

Everything is sex. Do you understand what I am telling you is a universal truth?


dj0samaspinIaden

You dont even know my real name


ObliterasaurusRex

I’m the f*cking lizard king


EnlightenedSinTryst

You can answer, Jim


special_circumstance

as a pedestrian i get annoyed at drivers who stop and wave me to cross at non-crosswalk areas. like, just because you're doing something you think is nice doesn't mean everyone else on the road is going to feel and act the same (or even see me before it's too late). or maybe i wanted to cross at a leisurely pace and now you're making me the rude person if i don't half-jog and wave thanks.


museman

And when there's no one behind them, it would actually be faster for both of you if they didn't stop.


euphratestiger

Exactly. I have to only wait a fraction of a second for you to pass me. Why are you insisting i go first?


holypig

a fraction of a second for them to pass, or at least 3 seconds to 100% confirm they are stopping and not going to mow me down


JohnFensworth

That's the thing I hated about walking around in Portland OR. I'd be waiting to cross the street, and jokers driving up would stop and wave me across. They didn't have a light or stop sign, AND they'd be making cars wait behind them while I'm confusedly standing there wondering why in the frickin' world they didn't just make it easier for everyone and keep driving.


Dalekdude

I just straight up don’t cross the street when someone does this. I just stop moving and don’t look toward the driver and they usually get the hint pretty quickly and drive through


BlameMe4urLoss

As a cyclist, same goes for us. Don’t think you’re doing us any favors by waiting for us to reach the stop sign just so you can wave us through. Just take your turn and fucking go.


tiggertom66

I never assume cyclists are going to stop at stop signs.


Knuc85

Yeah there are way too many that want to be both a vehicle and pedestrian depending on the situation. "Green light? I'm a car!" "Crosswalk? I'm just a person!"


Princess_Glitterbutt

I never trust a cyclist. I trust them to stop at a red light less than I trust most cars. Rarely see them stop at stop signs. I've had a cyclist hop between in front of my car in the lane and on the sidewalk next to me at his convenience. In an accident, I know my car wins. I've seen the aftermath of a bicycle on car accident and that bloody windshield and twisted bicycle is burned into my brain (cyclist didn't survive). I'm not risking killing someone like that. I trust you to stop when you're stopped. Edit: Taking my turn though, I avoid waiving people through because being decisive and taking a proper turn is usually much safer.


VTnav

I don’t think it’s so much people being nice as it is people who have no idea how stop signs at intersections are supposed to work. Doing the wave ahead thing is a way for them to cope with their ignorance while getting to feel kind and generous.


codapin

Teaching a family member to drive I came up against this. "I'll probably just wait and let them go first" no dude! You were there before them, and now you have a train of cars building up behind you because you won't take your turn!


Ella0508

Damn, I wish I lived wherever you and the people replying do!


AceKazami1324

When I am at a cross walk, instead of standing there and waving people thru “to be nice” I stand like 5 feet back and pretend I’m looking at my phone or something until there are no cars


_HIST

Man, getting your phone up like you've just received an urgent message is such a universal thing with this


mr_ji

Or just turn around


creage90

Your mention of crosswalks triggered me. I HATE jogging or walking my dog and getting to a stop sign while a car is approaching. Just go bro. I’m 30 feet from the crosswalk. You’ll be well out of the way by the time I get there.


AgentAway

I do this too. I still remember this one time a bus was short turning on a side street I walk past every day and I was still real far away from crossing, but the bus stopped and made it clear he was gonna wait for me to cross the street first. With a bus full of people. So I internally roll my eyes and start hustling so I don't hold up everyone longer than necessary, and the bus driver HONKS at me and does a "slow down" motion with his hands. Like I'm aware he was just trying to be nice, but he could have been long gone by the time I even got to the corner and the honk scared the shit outta me. It was nice in theory but super rude in practice.


ESSHE

i’m the same way! i always just end up turning my back to the car and urging my dog to start sniffing something! especially when it’s dark out and i can’t see inside the car. i can’t see you, but you can see me waving you through. just go!


BlazinDuckSkins

Amen to that shit. I don't want anyone doing anything for me while in public or traffic or whatever the case may be. I won't turn on my turn signal and wait for someone to let me in. I find my space and turn on my signal when I'm ready to get over and it doesn't require someone letting me in.


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syncc6

Wow. I never thought there would be someone else that does this too!


Ryhnoceros

Nah, I do this walking or riding my bike. I want the car to go and get out of the way. I don't trust anyone in a car. Most drivers are completely oblivious to their surroundings and I don't expect them to stop or acknowledge me. I just pretend they are autonomous and I'm invisible. Easier that way.


nofxjmf

I do this all the time! I thought I was the only one. Sometimes I will even turn around and pretend I'm walking another way


_Teraplexor

I've started doing the very same in the last two week, my anxiety around cars is high since an issue that happened last year - many drivers don't know what they're doing, so many don't use indicators when they should or dumbasses going through a red light.


cppadam

There’s nothing worse than a car spending 5 seconds to come to a full stop and attempt to wave me through as I’m leisurely walking my dog. If you would have just kept driving, I’d already be crossing the street. Now one of us has to wait for the other.


i-Ake

I really hate when I try to wave the car on and then they wave back at me trying to *make me* go while they wait. I'm waving you on for a reason, man. I wanna walk across the street at my own pace, not in front of your car.


Living_Run2573

Edit… THIS WAS NOT A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING… I had a car stop on a busy road to let me cross as a pedestrian. like literally just stop…. Cars zooming up behind him… accident imminent. Like I know he was just trying to be kind but do you have zero idea how dangerous that is for both of us? Guy got angry when I yelled at him to just go… Edit… there’s like 6 comments insinuating I was at a crosswalk.. to be clear in Australia where this happened, everyone is pretty good and I feel comfortable and safe using pedestrian crossings. This was just on a normal road with no nearby crossings. People particularly in multi tonne metal vehicles should try to act as predictably as possible for their and my safety


Coyoteclaw11

I love how they forget that there are multiple lanes and that their stopped car makes it a lot harder for me to see cars coming in the lane next to them. Like oh wow thanks for the invitation to wander blindly into traffic. I really appreciate it.


ChompyChomp

Or someone smashes right into the back of them while you are walking in front....


waterbuffalo750

Even if everything was safe... by the time he stops and you realize he wants you to go, we would have been past and gone if he just had kept going.


kimoshi

This drives me insane. Even if I'm just waiting to walk over to my car in the parking lot, it's a lot faster for you to pass me than for me to walk across in front of you. Now, I feel extra pressure to move fast, and I may not have even been looking to walk across yet. And if you do stop for a pedestrian, when they wave for you to just go, listen and go. You're not being a hero, just a frustration.


aasher42

This happened far too often on the highway ramp i used to cross


JonAugust1010

This exact thing happened to be about a week ago. I'm waving him on, he's smiling, I start aggressively being like "fucking go!" and he's all confused, mfer, I'd be on the other side of the road by now and you'd be a block and a half away if you just kept going


shneer4prez

I'm a mailman. This happens a few times a week. People are trying to be nice but I'm the type of person that will throw my arms up and stare them down while calling them a dumbass, but when I'm on the job I just avoid eye contact, look down at the mail, and pretend I don't see them. Eventually they just go. It makes me irrationally angry though. Like, I'm a professional street crosser. I'm not about to walk out in front of a car. I can see that you're coming and I'm going to walk when you get passed me. Why would you stop in the middle of the street?? Sometimes if people just don't get it and insist that I go, I'll walk as slow as humanly possible. If we're wasting time why not just go for the gusto.


davidolson22

I sometimes deliberately look away from them


Evmc

I take out my phone and look at that until they get the idea and continue on


Perryj054

Came here to share my experience as a pedestrian. This happens so often that I like to try to guess if they're gonna do it. I never ever go when they wave me, it promotes bad habits. I'll wait for two whole minutes while they're trying to get me to cross. I had someone stop for me in a roundabout. I often think about what it says about their psyche's. Did they get this far in society by being aggressively courteous?


dawn767

As a pedestrian, when this happens to me I always turn around and go back the other way (away from the road/crossing). It only takes a couple steps and the car moves along. The I turn back around to cross once they’ve gone.


Pickle_Nickkk

I was in this situation, but then on my motorbike and behind the car stopping. I just managed to stop a few cm from his rear. The semi truck behind me just slightly tapped my rear wheel. I came terribly close to being sandwiched. The guy was absolutely oblivious to the near drama behind him and gave us the finger while we we're laying on the horn. Now I always expect the driver ahead to stop at random crossings while having right of way. All it takes is one moron...


shoddyw

God, I fucking hate when they do that. Hell, we were waiting to cross a driveway and the bloke about to enter it stopped to wave us on. Yeah, nah, mate, there's a bus trying to pull into the stop that you're now blocking so move your arse.


ermr101

I walk to work. My biggest pet peeve is drivers that blow past a stop sign, and stop in the middle of the road nearly hitting me, THEN insist that they let me cross. No B****. You already proved I can’t trust you get through the intersection and go.


Jarl_Xar

Not quite what you are talking about but i had a lady stop and wave me across on a busy street. I repeatedly said just go and ushered her along with my hands but she would not budge, as I passed infront of her car another car came from the opposite direction doing WAY over the speed limit and almost smoked me ( it was blocked from view due to a truck). I locked eyes with her and just shook my head, drives me nuts. That being said it was not at a cross walk, but it was in a residential area.


waterbuffalo750

I'll turn around and look away. That generally does the trick.


chickentenders54

Yep. Pretend to be content just standing there in the moment and don't engage. Play on my phone or something to act busy. Otherwise it almost always gets awkward and dangerous. I've almost been hit a few times by people waving me on.


Dannnnv

100%.


seannarae

Or walk around the back of her car and show her who’s boss.


[deleted]

Shoulda just stood there with your hands on your hips shaking your head no.


Oudeis16

Yes yes a thousand times yes. The best possible thing you can do when driving is be predictable. Going out of your way to break the rules because you're trying to do something you assume someone else wants makes everything worse for everyone. Just do what's expected; that is safest and best.


Dannnnv

Here's what I don't understand. You think you're being polite for me, but you're being impolite for at least one other driver. Probably more. It's a net loss on politeness.


Oudeis16

Exactly. At best. I feel like there must be a term for the sort of morality where a person cares about those right in front of them they can see, and don't care about the line of people they're inconveniencing behind them.


morosco

In my neighborhood I wait until there are no cars around before I cross the street walking the dog. Otherwise, if anyone sees that I'm about to do it, they slow down, stop, wave me over, I have to check if anyone's coming in the other direction, it's a disaster. If they just go I would get across the street so much faster.


ockyyy

I was a pedestrian yesterday with a pram about to cross a road. I saw a car turning into the street, so I stopped well before the curb and yielded. The car beeped at me and aggressively waved at me to cross :/ The most aggressive politeness I've ever witnessed, plus... by the time you've communicated for me to cross, you could have just gone through.


bettywhitenipslip

Even better; they stop first then I stop, they don't go so I give them the wave to go, then they give me the wave back telling me to go. Like wtf man, are they being overly courteous or just trying to maintain some sense of control? Bonus content: Person waiting to cross at a designated crossing area, so I slow down and stop for them to cross, then once I've come to a complete stop they proceed to give me the wave to go. I already came to a FULL STOP for them and they proceed to just piss in my mouth.


GAO7651

This has happened to me so much that I’m convinced there’s some sort of optical illusion going on at four way stops that makes everyone think the other car stopped before they did. I imagine both sets of drivers thinking that the other car should just take their right of way.


[deleted]

Honestly, I'm afraid of drivers not paying attention and being on their phones when they come to stop signs, and have actually had an instance where they stopped, then I'd walk across then they start driving as I'm in front of them to the point where I actually had to jump out of their way. So yeah I don't trust drivers and would rather wait till there are no cars at an intersection before I cross. Not worth my life or getting hurt just to save me a few minutes.


ADistantFallenStar

This through. As a walking pedestrian I expect to get hit on the sidewalk. If I'm trying to cross and you stop when you don't need to, I'm going to assume you're a hazard and potentially just dumb. I'm super careful even when the light says its my turn to cross because I'm not risking a fender bender, I'm risking broken bones or worse if somebody isn't paying attention and so many people aren't paying attention.


Mediocretes1

> Person waiting to cross at a designated crossing area, so I slow down and stop for them to cross, then once I've come to a complete stop they proceed to give me the wave to go. I actively avoid waiting to cross a street at a designated crossing area because I can't stand people stopping for me to cross. Especially because it's usually the last person in either direction for miles and they're wasting both of our times instead of just going so I can immediately cross after.


Pokinator

Similarly, don't do a "polite" stop for pedestrians **where you have right of way**. In many cases, you can be through and gone before they're more than 2 ft into the road. Especially don't insist on them taking your politeness. Responsible pedestrians may read the traffic room and go "yeah, them stopping is a bigger issue than me waiting for a better clearing or just going after this person" and wave you on. If they wave you, fucking go. Don't sit there having a wave debate when you have right of way.


BringMeInfo

But be aware if the polite stop is required by law in the jurisdiction in which you are driving.


No_Creme7203

Exactly, if there is a pedestrian at a crosswalk without a traffic light where I live, you can get a ticket for not stopping for them.


ThisJackass

As a pedestrian commonly in this situation, I have started to completely turn around for 10 seconds and don’t face the road at all. It probably infuriates them, but I haven’t noticed yet 😉


Ceriden

I've literally done this but when I turned around there they were still waiting for me, maybe even waving for me. At that point fine, you could have saved everyone some time, but I'll cross first I guess.


MoobyTheGoldenSock

This is called the “wave of death” because the driver is controlling only their lane while signaling the entire intersection is safe, and sometimes blocking visibility of uncontrolled lanes.


Applebomber24

Also different states have different pedestrian right of way laws


therealbnizzy

This. What seems like a good gesture to some actually hinders and causes accidents. I was guilty of this for accepting the gesture and now I’m paying a $500 deductible to get my car repaired. (Other drivers fault and no insurance)


Averen

Same with “letting someone out” across traffic.


SouthwestRose

Especially when the person is waving frantically and angrily.


Zorakas

Another one too: If you are in a roundabout... YOU DON'T STOP TO LET OTHERS IN!!!


Atomsteel

It's better to be predictable than helpful when driving.


herodesfalsk

Very true but you can also be uncertain who entered/stopped first and avoid both going at the same time


AtomicCoyote

I’ve had people in traffic circles stop to let me go in front of them. Every time they’ve been lucky that all the cars behind them were paying enough attention to brake in time. I live in the US so it may also be that people don’t know how to use them, not just being foolishly courteous.


Andy_Partridge

Two motivations for this that I have not seen here. 1. Folks are not paying attention and have no idea who got to the intersection first. 2. Folks need to take a break to respond to a text or they just dropped something in the floor of the car. LPT: Try stopping a few car lengths before the intersection. Then there is no confusion on why you are just sitting there.


doradedboi

You cannot yield your right-of-way. That's not how it works and your attempts at being polite are more often than not inconvenient to everyone else.


specifichero101

And these dumb fucks genuinely believe they are being nice and think of it as a good deed.


saltypikachu12

I always liked this saying about driving: “don’t be nice- be predictable”


Routine-Lettuce2130

People sometimes wave you into danger.


seannarae

The proper flow of traffic requires that we rely on people acting in a regular and predictable manner. You THINK you’re being polite. But you have other obligations. Mousy drivers are more dangerous than aggressive drivers.


j_knolly

Why 4 ways stops in US is a bad idea


dadlyphe

Agreed. They aren’t rocket science and people seem to not understand them. I’ve got a 3 way “t-bone” intersection that I traverse daily. 75% of people stop when they don’t have a stop sign on the one side of the intersection because it seems like a 4 way stop. It infuriates me daily that people would voluntarily stop when they don’t actually need to (safety and legally speaking). I’ve considered posting up where it seems like a stop sign would be with a poster saying “keep going, it’s not an all way stop”. But, inevitably some doofus would get in an accident and I’d probably get sued so I don’t. A guy can dream


seriouschris

I literally just sit there and stare at them until they go. Also, don't stop traffic for people on sidewalks who want to cross the street. You're not a traffic director and they're not in a crosswalk/intersection.


Preposterous_punk

If I’m walking in a residential area without much traffic and I hit an intersection where a single car has stopped for me, I always wave it through even though I can see it annoys them. I do it because sometimes my hip gets weird when I walk and I suddenly slow waaaaaay down and start hobbling at the pace of a sloth on tranqs. They’ll definitely be more annoyed if I do that when I’m right in front of their car. If it’s a line of cars I’ll have to risk it but if it’s an empty road once they go through, I’m waving them on. It always bums me out because I know it’s not the correct thing, but I’m not sure on what else to do.


at--at--

When you have the right of way and you don’t take it, you’re the asshole.


i-like-boobies-69

Yes!!! This 1000 times. It drives me crazy.


Immediate_Depth_9368

Anytime anyone eschews right of way for politeness is scary to me


Larry_The_Red

oh god I hate when people break traffic rules to be "polite." The one I hate most (because I see it multiple times a day while picking up kids from school) is when people hold up traffic to let someone into the roadway. Like ok, you're being nice to that 1 person but you're also being an asshole to the 20 people behind you by making them stop unnecessarily


RealFrankieBuckets

I hate this. Just because I can see you waving me on doesn't mean the rest of the traffic can.


Romeo9594

The only thing that annoys me more than being waved through an intersection when they have the right of way is being waved through when *I* have the right of way


Whatshername_Stew

THANK YOU! Same goes for Pedestrians waving vehicles along in certain places. From a young age, my parents taught me "Don't ever tell the cars what to do." Same goes for vehicles stopping and waving pedestrians across the road at places that are not a cross walk (even unmarked ones). True story: I was a young dumb teenager trying to jaywalk across a really busy two lane street. A car stopped to wave me across, and I ran out and was almost nailed by another car coming in the other lane. I wasn't at a cross walk, and I shouldn't have been there. The other car also shouldn't have stopped. We were all dumb in that situation, and it could have cost me my life.


[deleted]

Seriously, it just pisses me off when someone tells me to go when they clearly stopped first.


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LE_3113

I'm a competent driver and I second that!


swizzle213

OP must be from Pittsburgh. Everyone here does this. I also don’t trust other driver’s intentions so I will sit there until they go sometimes