STOP!

I live in an area with a large number of 4 way stop signs.  You can't go more than 2 blocks in any direction without running into one.  I've learned a few things over the years - at least once at a very painful cost.

People don't know the rules of a 4 way stop.

If you stop before anyone else, you go first.  This does not mean drive halfway through the intersection and then stop.  It's not a race - cheating to get ahead will only cause accidents.

If more than one vehicle stops at the same time there are more rules!  They don't include 'see who can get through first'.  It's not a game of 'duck, duck, goose', 'hot potato', or even 'simon says.'  I do have to admit that people often treat it like 'red light, green light'.

More often than not people blow the stop signs in our neighborhood.  The one at the top of the hill by our house is infamous.  I have to check and recheck before backing out to be sure no one is visibly showing up on any corner I can see.  There is one blind corner - people taking a right from the street above us rarely stop there.  More than once I've safely backed out - with no one behind me - and looked up a few seconds later to see someone right on my ass.

The worst are the ones who assume that there won't be anyone at the stop and just simply blow through.  I got hit by one of those a few years back.  She had no reason, never even hit the brakes.  Thankfully a witness stopped on my behalf.

That's my input for the day.

I wish you safe driving!