# Traffic light is out and drivers act like a 4-way stop!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-light-is-out-and-drivers-act-like-a-4-way-stop/584745>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 8, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-light-is-out-and-drivers-act-like-a-4-way-stop/584745 "2011-06-08T15:02:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-light-is-out-and-drivers-act-like-a-4-way-stop/584745/21 "2011-06-09T22:20:34Z")

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> [@wolfman](#):
>
> The real fun is watching a busy four way intersection that has even lost backup power\*. The number of people who are unable to assume it should be blinking red are amazing. Some people just think no light, no controls. Some people sit forever.
> 
> \*Fun during the day, freakin deadly at night though.

And curiously enough a huge portion of Downtown Detroit had a complete power outage today, with lights completely out.

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**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 10, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-light-is-out-and-drivers-act-like-a-4-way-stop/584745/22 "2011-06-10T00:54:20Z")

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> [@Wheelz](#):
>
> Off-topic and I’ll probably get slammed – but this scenario is exactly why I am in favor of red-light cameras. This kind of crap doesn’t happen anymore at a busy intersection on my daily route since they put cameras in, and I love it!\<snip\>

I’m not going to slam you - I think all kinds of driving will improve when we have a guarantee that we’ll get a ticket from a camera every time we get into our cars and go somewhere if we don’t shape up.

> [@rachelellogram](#):
>
> An SUV with 16 kids in it? Do you have a link to the news story? Did it actually have capacity for 16 people? SIXTEEN?
> 
> ETA: found the goddamn story myself. [FOX 26 Houston | Local News, Weather, and Live Streams | KRIV](http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/110529-auto-accident-takes-the-lives-of-two-children) Not that any kid deserves to die, but a family with 6 children who doesn’t put their little kids in seat belts, and holds a 9 month old on her lap instead of putting it in a strapped-in baby carrier… what the fuck did they expect to happen? Jesus fucksticking Christ.

There was an SUV rollover resulting in two fatalities here this week, too - two people not belted in died. I’m not sure what people expect to happen - I think they expect nothing to ever happen, in spite of the statistics on driving being the most dangerous thing anyone does any day.

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