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Discussion » Questions » answerMug Members » It's late at night and you're on neighborhood streets. There's, maybe, a car in the distance. Do you still stop at the stop signs?

It's late at night and you're on neighborhood streets. There's, maybe, a car in the distance. Do you still stop at the stop signs?

Posted - June 7, 2017

Responses


  • 3191
    It has been my observation that those who have never found themselves on 'the wrong side of the law' do not...and those who have, do. This post was edited by Bozette at June 8, 2017 12:11 PM MDT
      June 7, 2017 4:27 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    Hahahahahaha!!!  Classic Bozette and very observant!  I bet you're right!!
      Sometimes I don't get off work until late, like last night.  It was 11:30 on a Tuesday night. One of the neighborhoods I drive through has speed bumps and 2 ridiculous stop signs.  It's a nice neighborhood so nobody is out at that time. I found it to be a great back-way to go so I don't have to get on another huge street with a bunch of lights.
    Anyway, I was thinking about this question last night and I'm glad I remembered to ask.  Ironically, I have been pulled over on that road before.  It was 4 or 5 years ago and for something other than running these silly stop signs.
    To totally validate your thought and observation,  you are so right.  Last night I ran them.  I'm only doing 20 mph anyway so I'm not barreling through them.  On other nights, I do come to a complete stop and count to 3.  Maybe just so I don't get out of practice!  
    Again, you are right!  I'm a 50/50 on this one just like being on both sides of the law!  Take Care and Have a Great Night.  Thanks for answering!

      June 7, 2017 4:42 PM MDT
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  • 5455
    I think that might be the case with people who obsessively follow speed limits.  They're probably the ones who got burned once.  My hubby usually goes the speed limit unless he's in heavy traffic then he just goes with the flow of traffic.  When he got his driver's license the speed limit was usually 55 mph and the fastest you could go anywhere in the USA was 65mph on some highways so he got a speeding ticket when he was 18 for speeding in a 55 mph area.

    I don't blame him because 55 is really hard to take.  I live close to the state line and driving into Minnesota was absolute torture if you tried to go 55 mph but then they finally raised it to 60 on that road which I can handle.
      June 7, 2017 5:13 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    Hi Livvie~ I know what you mean about doing 55 mph while driving on the freeways.  Some places are still like that today.  In L.A., they vary.  Sometimes they are minimum 55 and 65 for regular speed.  It can be kind of scary out here because on minute you're  going 15 mph in bumper to bumper traffic and for no apparent reason, it will break up and WOW within 2 seconds people are wizzing past you at 70 and 75 mph!  I was at my parents last week and picked them up at The Sacramento Airport.  It's about an hour and half drive.  I think the average speed driving back to their house was 84 mph and that was staying with the flow of traffic!  It was crazy but safe.  The HWY was well paved and flat.  Thanks Livvie and have a great night! :) :)
      June 7, 2017 7:02 PM MDT
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  • 6126
    Traffic laws are so ingrained in my brain that it's automatic for me to stop if there is a stop sign, on a deserted street.  Now I just have to figure out if I am generally considered to be on the wrong side of the law. lol. This post was edited by Harry at June 8, 2017 12:11 PM MDT
      June 7, 2017 4:54 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    HI HARRY!! Happy! Happy!  It's great to see you and of course you do!!  Being a good and mindful, law-abiding citizen of the world, I couldn't imagine you doing it any other way!!  See, when you play on the wrong side of the law and you're good at it, you never want to attract attention to yourself. Being lazy and not stopping completely and  waiting those 3 seconds before moving past that red octagon is what we affectionately call The California stop.  Ya kinda roll right through it.  Unfortunately, I think your driving karma will get you if you make a habit of it.  What a silly reason to get a ticket too.  I would feel like such an imbecile to pay a $250 ticket because I didn't want to push the brake peddle down just a little harder.  Playin' with fire, I am by blatantly runnin' these at 11:30 at night, hu?  Boy, what a wild child I am!!  The giggle's on me!!  It is great to see you.  I was thinking of your the other day when I jumped on here hoping you would have your little nose out to pat, but to no avail.  Scooby snacks and hugs all the way around!  Have a great night and thanks for answering!  Woof! Woof!
      June 7, 2017 6:48 PM MDT
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  • 6126
    LOL!  I could squeeze the stuffing out of you girl!  Bow wow to the wow!  *muah*
      June 7, 2017 6:52 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    Wiggling wags!  Happy! Happy!
      June 7, 2017 7:03 PM MDT
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  • 5455
    Yes I do but most intersections where I live don't have stop or yield signs so whoever's on the right can go and whoever's on the left has to yield.

    The bigger problem I've encountered in the middle of the night is a light that just stays red.  One night I had to go to Des Moines IA and in the middle of the night if you're trying to go from northbound Highway 65 to Highway 6 there's a light at the end of the ramp that will never ever turn green so I just have to make a right turn to get to where I'm going but other drivers just get tired of waiting and go through it anyway.

    I don't count on luck with those things so I just turn right and find a way around it.
      June 7, 2017 4:55 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    We have a light like that right in front of the country market.  Around 9 pm, it just stays red.  It doesn't blink or anything.  In our little community we all kind of decided to treat it as a four way stop.  The government hasn't or the traffic people.. whoever is in charge of setting and timing the lights hasn't changed it.  
    Still, it is always a good idea to mind the traffic rules.  They are there for our safety and help us in direction :) :)  Have a nice evening and thanks for answering.
      June 7, 2017 8:01 PM MDT
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  • i did, yes. i don't drive anymore, but i would still stop regardless of the hour. the only wreck i've ever been in while driving was when someone without their lights on ignored a stop sign on a moonless night.
      June 7, 2017 4:56 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    Hi little queen~  I like your eye.  A little while ago I heard of a gal who went down to South American or Africa maybe (?) to get her eye color permanently changed to purple.  I'm not sure if that is "real."  My point of reference was the internet so you have to take it with a grain of salt but still, I like the color.
    I'm sorry for your accident.  If he didn't have his lights on and didn't stop at the stop sign, chances are he was either REALLY not paying attention to anything and you were definitely the victim.  I'm so sorry.
    My question was weaved around this road I drive. The neighborhood is nice and cops do patrol it.  You can see on the adjoining streets.  They aren't 4 way stops.  They are 3 ways stops.  I used to drive it when the stop signs weren't there, let alone the speed bumps (which are Huge and flat.)  I know they put the stop signs in because the neighborhood has developed and now there is more traffic through this nice neighborhood.  I'm sure the people that afford the houses demanded since there is more traffic, they put them in.  I don't blame them.  I would too! :)  Another fact about my unnamed street is you can only go about 20 mph anyway unless you want to ruin your suspension and undercarriage on your car via the speed bumps.  I've never seen anyone actually going so fast there would be an accident.  A driver would have to be really out of it or truly blind.  
    STILL, you're right.  You should always obey the driving laws.  They are there for our safety.  I am honest to you all and have always been honest to the police when I've been pulled over.  I have to admit, I don't when I can see there is no harm that will happen if I don't stop and I am only going 15/20 mph anyway.  My car is old and it is harder to make it stop and start again then it is to roll through them.  After your response though, just in case you might be the one on the other side, I will stop at them from now on.  Take Care and thank you for answering.  I hope to see you on another question.  Have a great day, Love, Merlin
      June 8, 2017 11:31 AM MDT
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  • what a lovely response, Dear Merlin. :)

    about the eye color: i'm pretty sure my avatar is a photo shop job, but yes, there are people in this world who have purple eyes due to a genetic mutation that manifests well after birth. it has to do with blood vessels in the irises of people with blue eyes. (blue and red make purple) i chose my avatar very quickly and do plan to eventually change it. the reason i chose it is my favorite color combination is blue, purple, and turquoise (see eye shadow). thanks for the compliment, though it's not actually my eye. (my eyes are mostly brown with a halo of green around the perimeter) so, it's rare, but it does occur. it is speculated that around 600 people world-wide have purple irises do to this genetic mutation. i'm sure many more than 600 have them due to colored contact lenses.

    yes, the person who collided with me that night was a resident of the neighborhood and stated that they never turn their lights on at night until they are about to reach the main road, and that they never encounter traffic in that area that late at night so they were in the habit of ignoring the stop signs near their home. so, you are correct. they were not paying attention. it was a main artery through that neighborhood, that i was using to avoid multi-landed traffic, with no stop sign for me. i didn't see them coming at all, so the accident most likely had more to do with their lights being off than running the sign. however, what i took from it was: accidents happen, but negligence increases the likelihood, and he was negligent of two factors; no lights, no stopping at the sign. though fact is you can have an accident while following all the rules, if negligence is involved, it becomes criminal.
    i'm glad you're going to stop at those signs now. if an accident ever occurs, you can have a clear conscious that you did all you could have to prevent it.

    as for the speed bumps, i dislike the type you're referring to as well (called speed humps around my area), but obviously the traditional type are ineffective or they (the city) would not spend money to modify them. people care more about their cars than the safety of citizens, it seems. effecting change and saving lives happen when people can't afford to not care. speed humps like those, placed planned distances apart, prevent people from building up to dangerous speeds on roads that are likely to have pedestrians walking along or crossing them. but don't fool yourself about low speeds being unlikely to seriously injure or kill someone. i witnessed the mayor of my town accidentally running right over an elderly man while idling backwards out of a parking space. he was in a crosswalk and everything. she was obviously trying to enter traffic as slowly as possible near an intersection, trying to give pedestrians a chance to see her slowly advancing. accidents can happen in slow motion. cars are very, very heavy machinery. people are fragile. 

    now i don't mean to make you feel badly about not following the law to the letter. some laws are ridiculous, but i do think you should protect not only other people, but also yourself, when it comes to any dangerous activities, and it sounds like that's exactly what you plan to do. =)

    i hope you enjoy your night drives, and that you are able to upgrade your older car... if that's what you'd like.

    i'll take care... you take care as well. thank you for the well-wishes, and i hope you have a lovely day too. love, lq

    edit: changed affecting to effecting. a very common mistake for me. : /





    This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 9, 2017 12:31 AM MDT
      June 8, 2017 12:32 PM MDT
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  • 46117
    Always.  I do not take short cuts when it comes to getting a ticket or getting pulled over.  I never break the traffic laws on purpose.  It is not worth it. 
      June 7, 2017 5:08 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    Namaste oh wise one!  Yes.  You ARE right.  If you have a moment and read the last Paragraph under "little queen," You will see, my friend, I definitely agree!  Happy thoughts and great vibes always Shar to the Rona.  Have a great day and see you soon on another.  Oh, and thanks for taking a moment and answering.  Sorry it took so long to get back to you.  I've been working over time and jump on here when I have a second.  Happy Dance! (())  See ya soon!
      June 8, 2017 12:05 PM MDT
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  • The orginization I work for now owns the land that the police department resides on. They tend to be lenient on myself and the other drivers. Heh heh. I slow down almost to a stop and roll on through.
      June 7, 2017 5:08 PM MDT
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  • 17364
    You bet!
      June 7, 2017 5:16 PM MDT
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  • 1713
    Of course, you never know if a cop is nesting and watching from the shadows. I don't want to take that chance.
      June 7, 2017 7:35 PM MDT
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  • 7683
    I do and another thing I always notice is, even if the redlight is on, vehicles try to rush to the front, that amuses me a lot;))
      June 7, 2017 8:06 PM MDT
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  • Yes.
      June 7, 2017 8:35 PM MDT
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  • 19942
    Always - there could be a police car just out of sight at the corner or you could be caught on a traffic cam.  Getting a ticket is not worth the couple of seconds it takes to stop.
      June 7, 2017 9:47 PM MDT
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  • "Yes, most certainly!!"  (and I never admit to breaking the law on a social site). :)

      June 8, 2017 12:16 PM MDT
    0
  • D&D

    682
    I wait.

    Unless the traffic light is defective, as it sometimes happen.
      June 8, 2017 1:54 PM MDT
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  • 22891
    yes, cause you never know who will be behind you watching
      June 8, 2017 5:50 PM MDT
    0