Stop in the Name of Love

Okay, who knows the procedural rules of appopriately manuevering through the four way stop sign? Anyone? Evidently not many drivers know this from my observations. You'd think that our species would have evolved enough to know the proper procedure for proceeding (how's that for alliteration?) through the dreaded four way stop sign.

This is my understanding:

Rule 1: The first vehicle who arrives at the four way stop sign has the right of way.

Rule 2: If there is a tie, the driver to the right has the right of way. [Correct me if I'm wrong on this]

Rule 3: If all else fails the person going straight has the right of way.

Or the more popular Rule 4: Abandon all rules and it's the most agressive driver that gets the right of way.

I have to go through 2 different four way stop signs on my drive to work. One of them is pretty managable. However, one of them stupefies me. I have been burned on more than one occassion on the four way stop. Adhering to Rule #1, I should have the right of way, but the "brah" (translation:brother in wookie, parking lot kid speak)in the Jeep Cherokee thinks he can flash me a peace sign and turn left right in front of my going straight. First, I got to the intersection before you, and besides I'm going straight and should have the right of way. But oh, flashing me the peace sign just makes everything alright with the world. My bad. Or there's the old man in the pick up truck who just sits there waving on the other cars even though he clearly got to the intersection first. I know you're in no real hurry gramps but I got places to be- and besides you're messing up the order of my universe.

At least it's not a roundabout, that would really confuse us.