# PSA: When the traffic light is out, treat it like a stop sign. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300 "2005-06-07T16:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300/21 "2005-06-08T00:22:08Z")
Huh. When we had the lights go out in Toronto, people off the street stepped in to guide traffic until the police officers came along and took over. (This is clearly why you should all come up and cause a power outage in Toronto so we can all party. Right? Right. :D) ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300/22 "2005-06-08T00:53:41Z")
Minor (but necessary) addendum: If a set of trafiic lights is _broken_, such that they are frozen red in one direction and green in another, do not blow through against a red because you “know it’s your turn”! Yes, the light should have turned green at that time. However, there is no way in hell that the crossing traffic will psychically intuit that the green they are seeing is from a frozen traffic light - they are simply going to go through. And they will not be looking out for your entitled ass. mischievous ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300/23 "2005-06-08T06:12:53Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > This drives me nuts in Los Angeles. > > What ends up happening is that instead of the proper clockwise rotation of cars, we get East- and Westbound cars going at once, then, in turn, North- and Southbound cars going at once, which makes it almost impossible to turn left in this situation. > > Idiots!!! > > When the '94 earthquake knocked out power to huge sections of the city, driving around town the next morning was just about the most stressful situation I’ve ever been in. I thought this is what you were supposed to do. I mean, if you’re going straight south, and I’m going straight north, who am I hurting by going through with you? And if you’re going straight south, and I’m facing north, wanting to turn left (west) I’ll pull forward as you do, they way I do at a green light without an arrow, then I’ll turn as soon as my path is clear. Tell me why I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300/24 "2005-06-08T15:08:35Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > …if you’re going straight south, and I’m going straight north, who am I hurting by going through with you? And if you’re going straight south, and I’m facing north, wanting to turn left (west) I’ll pull forward as you do, they way I do at a green light without an arrow, then I’ll turn as soon as my path is clear. > > Tell me why I’m wrong. I think your logic is completely correct, and this is usually what I see happen when the lights are out at an intersection. However, as **Rufus Xavier** pointed out, that’s not what the law (at least in California) says about how you treat a four-way stop. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300/25 "2005-06-08T15:27:28Z")
Oh and when someone ahead of you and in a different lane has their signal on to come into your lane… THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU NEED TO ACCELERATE! Another PSA ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300/26 "2005-06-08T16:40:49Z")
Yes, but if you let someone get in ahead of you, that means THEY WIN and YOU LOSE. Do I really need the rolleyes smiley? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-when-the-traffic-light-is-out-treat-it-like-a-stop-sign/307300.md?page=1)