Red lights are suggestions

[Polenicus]

I spotted this one at work. I work as Mobile Security, which means I basically drive from place to place and make sure the buildings are still there.

I was at an intersection, headed westbound, in the left turn lane to turn south. Eastbound there were about four cars. We all had a red light, and were all completely stopped, waiting for it to change.

Remember that bit. All completely stopped.

I was lucky in that this intersection had an advance left turn arrow in both directions. Which meant the light stayed red, but a green arrow flashed to allow the left turn lanes to make their turn. So I moved out into the intersection to make my turn.

... And had to stop, because one of the eastbound cars had started rolling forward into the intersection.

I honked my horn, as I could see his light was still red. I had the green arrow. I had the right of way. The driver was a college-age kid. He looked at me, bewildered, hesitated, then kept going, crawling through the intersection. I gave him a few more blasts to try and get him to wake up. His eyes went to the NORTHBOUND light, and to me, but he never actually looked up at his OWN light as he slowly cruised through the intersection, with a security vehicle halfway through a left turn blaring his horn at him.

None of the other cars moved, of course.

I see it an awful lot where people will watch for the other direction's green light to go red, and jump their own light (And sometimes have to slink back when they look up and realize the left turn lane has the light, not them) but I haven't for a while seen someone just slink on through with such stubborn dedication to being oblivious to the facts.

[Andara Bledin]

Yikes. That kid should not be behind the wheel. He's going to get someone hurt.

My mother once went through a red light because the cross traffic light had gone red and she was tired and thinking more about where she was going than where she was.

The cop that had been stopped right behind her pulled her over immediately, asked her if she knew why he had, and she answered, "I just ran that light, didn't I?"

He made sure her license was clear, gave her a warning, and told her to be careful before sending her on her way.

^-.-^

[Summerfly413]

When I very first started driving I would sometimes let off the gas if I was going straight, but I saw the turning arrow change. I always realized a second later and put my foot back on the break, and I always felt stupid and embarrassed, so I quickly learned to NOT do that lol

[HYHYBT]

The thing is, once you're out in the intersection you pretty much HAVE to do as they did and go on through. Chances are there's no longer an empty space behind you, and sitting there shifting into reverse would block things longer than going on through anyway.

[VComps]

The thing is, once you're out in the intersection you pretty much HAVE to do as they did and go on through. Chances are there's no longer an empty space behind you, and sitting there shifting into reverse would block things longer than going on through anyway.

Well, yes, and while I grant you that much; he shouldn't have entered the intersection in the first place.

[Polenicus]

The thing is, once you're out in the intersection you pretty much HAVE to do as they did and go on through. Chances are there's no longer an empty space behind you, and sitting there shifting into reverse would block things longer than going on through anyway.

The thing is... there WAS no car behind him, to start, and secondly, I started honking at him before he entered the intersection proper.

I was able to see his face the whole time. If he had looked up and seen his own light, if that light had dawned on his face, I wouldn't be so gobsmacked by it... but that's the one place he DIDN'T look. He just looked bewildered that I was honking at him, and that no one else was going, and kept glancing at the Northbound light to confirm it was red.

That and he didn't go through quickly. He CRAWLED, and ate up pretty much the full 30 seconds on my turn arrow just to get far enough clear for me to make my left turn.