Regional driving etiquette

[1995hoo]

It's worth noting, however, that some jurisdictions with camera enforcement set the cameras to ticket you if you fail to stop at the line. The District of Columbia has some stop sign cameras and there have been a lot of upset people who were ticketed when they stopped halfway beyond the line or similar. The one at this intersection has gotten the most publicity (you can see the camera if you pan around to the left; it's on the pole to the left of the school speed limit sign).

I have never heard of stop sign cameras until now. Looks like that one doesn't even have any "photo enforced" signage in advance, either... am I glad I don't have to drive in DC.

I mean, how do these even work? With a red light camera it's programmed to operate with the lights. How does it know to distinguish someone breaching the white line as they come to a stop, and someone legally stopping and then going across it?

I don't know, but I'm glad I never have to drive through that intersection. The local NBC affiliate did a report about the huge volume of tickets that camera issues.

[jakeroot]

It's worth noting, however, that some jurisdictions with camera enforcement set the cameras to ticket you if you fail to stop at the line. The District of Columbia has some stop sign cameras and there have been a lot of upset people who were ticketed when they stopped halfway beyond the line or similar. The one at this intersection has gotten the most publicity (you can see the camera if you pan around to the left; it's on the pole to the left of the school speed limit sign).

I have never heard of stop sign cameras until now. Looks like that one doesn't even have any "photo enforced" signage in advance, either... am I glad I don't have to drive in DC.

I mean, how do these even work? With a red light camera it's programmed to operate with the lights. How does it know to distinguish someone breaching the white line as they come to a stop, and someone legally stopping and then going across it?

I can't imagine it's that distantly related to red-light cameras. Those are designed to allow someone to stop on red and then turn without getting a ticket, but issue tickets to anyone who doesn't stop before crossing the stop/limit line.

[skluth]

In Kentucky, drivers pull over when meeting a funeral procession.

I used to see some people do this in North Carolina, even when the funeral procession was on the other side of a divided highway, but certainly not everyone did it. I remember getting the stinkeye from some old man when I didn't pull over and stop for a funeral procession that was on the other side of a wide median–he had pulled over and stopped and was standing next to his car with his hat off.

I fully agree with the old man, that was a fine tradition that EVERYONE used to follow, you pull off, get out of your car, and remove your hat.
Funeral processions do have the right of way in some states, and I think we should just extend that to making people pull over, get out of their cars, and remove hats. Should be a ticket able offense.

Forcing people out of their cars, especially in inclement or really hot/cold weather, just because a funeral procession is going past, is just cruel. I live in Palm Springs where most summer days are at least triple digits and frequently over 115°F. I grew up in Green Bay where we had weeks when the temp didn't break 0°F.  Rarely does anyone actually know who the procession is for anyway; during my 30 years in St Louis it could easily have been for a gang or Klan member. Pulling over for the procession to pass should be sufficient. Forcing people to do more is totalitarian.

[skluth]

In Vancouver (but also Seattle too), always wait to turn left from the middle of the intersection. Waiting behind the stop line is considered rude. Up to three or even four cars may turn after the phase ends, so cross traffic may have to yield for a brief moment.

Same thing in NYC and North Jersey. It's very common and expected for people to turn left when the light turns red. When I go back home to upstate NY this seems very rare. People will just wait scared behind the line and if they don't see a gap, they'll wait for a whole new cycle. When I explained the concept of waiting in the intersection and turning left on red to my mom (who learned to drive in a rural area), she had no idea what I was talking about.

I believe NY law only allows the first car in line to do this.  Others are expected to remain behind the stop line until the car in front makes their turn.

I'd hardly call pulling into the intersection "very rare" upstate, though it is very rare to see a whole line of cars turn left like in NYC.  Although not as rare as Rothman finds it, apparently.  It's definitely annoying and not the norm for even the lead car to sit behind the stop line, but it's common enough that I don't consider it unusual.

I thought this only happened in Minneapolis. I don't know if they still do it, but the first time it happened to me when I visited my brother in Mpls back in the mid-80s I just about freaked. I saw it a few other times on visits, but I haven't been to the Twin Cities in almost 20 years.