A staff member was saluted at a four way stop recently. I’m sure the person at the four-way stop thought they were “in the right.” However, the traffic interaction did not go the way they envisioned, and they were beaten across the intersection by the Methodist. The aggrieved driver offered his commentary on the other person’s driving with a Roman salute. The spat continued on Facebook with the posting of the proper way to navigate a four-way stop. I have written several articles for another journal about the foibles of the four-way intersection.
There is method to the madness at a four way stop. The rule of thumb is the first one at the intersection goes first. If there is a “tie” at the intersection, the driver to the right has the right-a-way. That is pretty simple huh? It doesn’t matter how many horsepower you have under the hood, the size and number of your truck tires; the rules of a four-way stop are immutable. Thou shalt not proceed out of turn at the four-way stop, no matter how much your hurry.
The other part of the four-way law is this. When it is your turn GO. You can’t do a four way stop if you are looking at your phone. I know they are teaching the “new math” in school and four is a challenge so you must pay attention to the order of arrival at the four-way stop. If the four-way stop is too complicated, just know this, one day they will put a traffic circle in its place and you will never get off of that traffic circle. There are drivers in Alexandria who have been driving on their traffic circle for years, they can’t figure out how to get off of it.
It is not that bad in Ruston. Traffic has its own ebb and flow. I’m learning when to avoid certain roads. I’m learning where all the school traffic is and the work arounds. I enjoy driving here.
In a former town, we had a six way stop that I negotiated every day. It was at the corner of Second Street and Church Street. There was not a traffic light, but a six way stop. How is that possible? You install two left turn lanes opposite each other. You think counting to four with distracted drivers is a challenge. You should sit at that six way stop for a while. I don’t have driving patience with people who don’t know the rules of the road. I’m not talking about my rules of the road, but that actual law.
Let’s review, four-way stop is governed by the law of first come first serve. If you arrive at the same time the driver to the right has the right of way. If you have someone miscount at a four way, the proper response is mercy and not the Roman salute. Thus, ends the lesson. Hopefully, folks will follow the four-way intersection rules.
Some rules you don’t break, you prove them true. You don’t break the law of gravity. If you get too close to the edge and fall off, you prove that the law of gravity true. Spiritual rules and laws work on the same dynamic.
Jesus said, “What does it profit a person if they gain the whole world and lose their soul?”
How is your profit margin?
