OK, so you have a 2 way stop. As you pull up to the stop, there is already somebody waiting at the other stop sign across the street from you. She wants to turn left, and is waiting for a break in traffic. You want to go straight. Who has the right of way?
I always presumed it was her, because she got there first, and isn’t it the person who gets there first the one who gets to go first?
She presumed it was me, and when I didn’t go she flipped me a double bird and screeched “You Fecking Barch” out the window at me. I found this quite startling, and waved her through, certain that she had the right of way and also certain that I would much rather err on the side of caution than be plowed into sidelong and possibly lose my (a) baby, (b) life, or (c) good insurance record. She squealed out in a show of pissy road rage, hurling obscenities all the way. Her passenger, who judging by looks and age I presumed to be her mother, smiled at me weakly and waved a thank you.
Coming back the same way after my short trip to the bank, I was faced with the same dilemma. The older lady in the minivan got there first and was sitting with her left blinker on. I began waving her through immediately upon my arrival at the stop sign, even before traffic cleared, so there would be no confusion, and she smiled, waved, and sailed on through without raising an eyebrow.
I’m truly puzzled. I tried to look it up, and found very detailed rules for a 4 way stop. For a 2 way stop, all I could find was “It will be very clear to you who has the right of way at a 2 way stop.” Well, very helpful website, it’s not clear to me and I don’t want to pay to have a North Carolina drivers manual shipped to me to get clarity. So I’m polling my readers. (Who don’t live in North Carolina.)
What is it, guys? Does the left turn always yield to oncoming traffic, or do you each take turns regardless of which way you’re going? Does the first person to arrive get to go first, or does it depend on how many lanes of traffic you have to cross? I face several of these 2 way stops driving home on country roads, and I now approach them with terror, certain I’m going to go out of turn and become road pizza. Help me, oh help me, faithful readers, for though I have been driving for nigh on 12 years now, I somehow do not know this basic driving question, and I fear for my life.
I live in MA and was taught that at a 4 way stop intersection, it is the person who stops first that is the first to go. I was also taught that at every stop even with no traffic you stop until the count of 3. With all the craziness these days, I now make sure that I make eye contact with anyone at a stop sign and more times than not will either wave them trough or wait for them to wave me through. I live a small life, but it is precious to me not to mention the aggravation of a car repair. Stay safe.
You have the right-of-way. Left-turners are always the lowest on the totem pole. Because of this, my mother will drive blocks out of her way so she doesn\’t have to make them.
Remember what it\’s like, though, to drive (well, maybe what it\’s like to be driven, since Husband did all the driving during your stay w/us) where there are no stop signs at an intersection. Then be glad you\’re not preggers out here.
On my way home from work each night I shortcut through a small side street that dumps out into a main road. At the end of the side street is a stop sign, but even without one I would have to stop anyways because of all the traffic on the main road. Across the street is a big office park and there is usually someone waiting at the mouth of that driveway to get onto the main road. I make a left out of the side street, and if I pull up and there is someone at the office park driveway making a right and they were already waiting when I arrived I will let them go first when there\’s a break in traffic…because they were there first you know? Sometimes I\’ve been waved through, I\’ve done my share of waving…but I never really thought about there being a rule – I just figured it was a first come first serve sort of deal.
the person turning left must wait for the people going straight or turning right….at least i think?!?!?
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