# No Right on Red...Cut Through Gas Station??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2002, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676 "2002-03-17T01:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/21 "2002-03-17T15:00:41Z")
I think this is illegal everywhere except in Lower Mongolia and that is only because they have only one filling station. ---
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/22 "2002-03-17T15:07:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weeks \* > \*\*Jimpatro: > > > [@](#): > > > > You know you don’t even really have to stop at a redlight or stopsign either. > > Howzat? that is the kind of thinking that will get you in trouble in my neck of the woods. \*\* I agree. In England at least, you MUST stop at a red light or stop sign, no exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/23 "2002-03-18T00:10:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nukeman \* > \*\* > > Howzat? that is the kind of thinking that will get you in trouble in my neck of the woods. \*\* I agree. In England at least, you MUST stop at a red light or stop sign, no exceptions. \*\* [/QUOTE] I think Jimpatro is playing on the semantics of ‘Have to’ meaning are required to, and ‘Have to’ meaning impossible not to. 1. You have to give your Bus seat to the Lady who just got on. 2. You have to close your eyes, while sneezing. STopping at a red light, or stop sign is more like case 1, than case two. “You can’t do that!!!” “What do you mean, Can’t? I just did it right in front of you!” ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/24 "2002-03-19T16:02:25Z")
Yeah, I was just being sarcastic. Should have added a winking smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/25 "2002-03-19T17:35:59Z")
> [@](#): > > The solution to this problem is simple: Move to Canada. We can turn right on red today and every which day after. In most provinces, yes, we can turn right on a red. I believe Quebec still prohibits such turns though. However, the OP was referring to cutting through a gas station to avoid waiting for the light to change and the traffic ahead to move. That’s illegal here too. At least it is in Ontario, where a few friends have been tagged for doing such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/26 "2002-03-19T18:32:23Z")
I was lucky to avoid a ticket once for a more blatant “avoiding a traffic control device.” I was heading home on a busy street and was the first car to get stopped by the light in the right hand lane (no turn lane). After braking for the light, I immediately turned right to take an alternate route home. Right after my turn (5 yards or so) I remembered that I needed to go somewhere further down the original street. So I pulled a U-turn, drove back to the intersection and made a right-hand turn onto the street I was originally on (all the while the rest of the traffic was still waiting for the light to change and no cross traffic (except me) was coming the other way). It looked _really_ bad but I had my reasons. Fortunately there were no cops around, I’m not so sure they would have bought my story. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/27 "2002-03-19T21:03:41Z")
Here in NC it’s called “avoiding an intersection.” It’s illegal, but I see several people, including cops, do it every single day on the way to work. I’ve never known anyone to get pulled over or ticketed for it. I used to do it but I’ve found that, as often as not, you end up _losing_ time instead of getting around the light faster. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/28 "2002-03-19T23:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AbbySthrnAccent \* > \*\* > > It’s a Rich Hall sniglet. \*\* …and we have a winner! ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/29 "2002-03-20T01:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Threadkiller \* > \*\*I was lucky to avoid a ticket once for a more blatant “avoiding a traffic control device.” > > I was heading home on a busy street and was the first car to get stopped by the light in the right hand lane (no turn lane). After braking for the light, I immediately turned right to take an alternate route home. Right after my turn (5 yards or so) I remembered that I needed to go somewhere further down the original street. So I pulled a U-turn, drove back to the intersection and made a right-hand turn onto the street I was originally on (all the while the rest of the traffic was still waiting for the light to change and no cross traffic (except me) was coming the other way). > > It looked _really_ bad but I had my reasons. Fortunately there were no cops around, I’m not so sure they would have bought my story. \*\* That would not be a violation of the law that exists in Illinois, and since there is a Uniform Motor Vehicle Act, it is probably the same law in many states, which is that it is illegal to drive on private property to evade a traffic sign or signal. However, many municipalities have specific ordinances as to the legality of U-turns, so your U-turn 5 yards from an intersection may have violated the city ordinance. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676/30 "2002-03-20T01:46:10Z")
Cisco, where does your sig come from? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-right-on-red-cut-through-gas-station/98676.md?page=1)