# What if the light never turns green? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2001, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-light-never-turns-green/49278 "2001-01-10T03:45:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-light-never-turns-green/49278/21 "2001-01-10T19:07:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolfman \* > \*\*My friend was driving away from the place, and reached the light right as a cop pulled up behind him. Not being an idiot, he just sat waiting for the real arrow. After about 40 seconds the cop honked. My friend kind of hesitated, but still sat there. The cop honked again, so my friend figured that was a clear indication it was okay to go. He made the turn, then the bastard cop flipped on his lights, followed him through, pulled him over and gave him a ticket for running a red light. \*\* WOW! That **TOTALLY** sucks! Did your friend win in court? I got angry just reading that story! ---
**Author:** ![Eft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@Eft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eft)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-light-never-turns-green/49278/22 "2001-01-10T19:29:38Z")
One time before we lived together, the EftSpouse was driving home very late at night. There was a slow light at one intersection, and as it was 2AM and he had to be at work at 6AM (this is part of why we moved in together–we both needed sleep!) he pulled up, waited a minute or two, got impatient, and drove through. And got pulled over. He did not get pulled over for running a red light, however; he got pulled over for “disregarding a traffic signal”. Still a ticket, but a lesser one, and not a moving violation so no points on the driver’s license. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-light-never-turns-green/49278/23 "2001-01-10T20:14:42Z")
I recently ran a red light to let an ambulance through. The street has 2 straight lanes, 2 left turn lanes. I was in the first turn lane (middle of street, not closest to median). There is a median. This particular light the oncoming traffic flows first, then the side I was on. The light was in the cycle for oncoming traffic, but there were no cars coming. Going my way, the straight lanes were 6 or 7 cars deep, with 3 or so in the turn lanes, I was at the front of the turn lane. The ambulance was approaching from behind, and pulled into the turn lanes, but could not cross the median. So I drove forward, pulled all the way through the fairly lengthy intersection, completed my turn to clear the way, and then pulled to the side of the lane in case the ambulance was also turning and wished to go around me. Happily he went straight. I wasn’t sure what to do, but figured if I just sat there the ambulance wasn’t going anywhere, and once I started rolling without oncoming traffic, figured the best solution was complete the turn. I really didn’t know what to do, pulling in front of the car next to me didn’t occur to me, and stopping in the middle of the intersection left me feeling like I’d still be blocking the ambulance. Recently was riding with someone and we hit a left turn at a light. Sat through 3 cycles of the light because it did not turn green for our side, and finally triggered when someone pulled into the lane next to us. There was traffic, so we couldn’t just run the light, and couldn’t go straight or turn right because it never cycled to our side at all. What are you supposed to do then? ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-light-never-turns-green/49278/24 "2001-01-11T13:51:20Z")
California Vehicle Code 1. (d) (1) The driver of any vehicle approaching an intersection which has official traffic control signals that are inoperative shall stop at the intersection, and may proceed with caution when it is safe to do so. [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/) search for: 21800 This came from CA. Though what inoperative really means could be a problem, but if it doesn’t cycle for you after one or two cycles if you are sitting behind the line then that would be inoperative to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-light-never-turns-green/49278.md?page=1)