Watching and Waiting at a Stop Sign

I was waiting at a stop sign. Scanning the intersection, I saw a car, on the left, approaching. Since there was no stop sign or other traffic sign or signal to impede that car’s progress, it would pass the intersection in front of me in just a few seconds.

The car approached very quickly. If I had tried to shoot out into the intersection before the car arrived, I might have made it, but, who knows? It’s always better to wait; a defensive driving class will always recommend waiting 2-3 seconds.

Then, the car slowed, and turned into the street where I was waiting. A cell phone talker. He was chatting away, turning into the lane next to me, not bothering to use his turn signals. New California legislation will make it illegal to use a cell phone while driving on January 1, 2008. California online traffic schools can help drivers to better understand the new law.

If he had activated his turn signal when he was supposed to, I would have known he had been planning to turn; I would have moved ahead, safely, into the intersection, and turned, instead of waiting. Why did I wait?

Of course, he might have signaled his right turn, and then, for one reason or another, not turned, after all. He might have entered the intersection in front of me, at the same time as my car.

What did I lose by waiting? A few seconds. Not much. Sometimes, those few seconds make all the difference in the world.