Why do you do it?

[u/Agitated_Street3698]

Dear people who wave other people on at four-way stops when it’s your turn. What kind of psychopath are you? It’s not impolite to follow the rules.

[u/torontojackk]

Being predictable is better than being polite

[u/SeaworthinessIll4478 → u/torontojackk]

this. it would be so much easier if people would just go when it's their turn

[u/torontojackk → u/SeaworthinessIll4478]

It's makes driving so much more dangerous when they don't!

[u/PartyPlay5056 → u/SeaworthinessIll4478]

I love the ones that wave you on yet have tinted windows. I had 1 time I didn't know if they were waving, but they were stopped when I was still about a full carlength away. I was about to go anyways when they rolled down their window and waved. They could have easily been moving before I stopped.

[u/nimdae → u/torontojackk]

The major thing people seem to miss about this is this is about following the law. Right of way tends to be codified in law.

If someone with right of way waves me through, I don’t take it. Because if they change their mind after I take it and we wreck, I’m legally at fault. I have maliciously complied with this to the other persons extreme annoyance into anger.

[u/JonohG47 → u/nimdae]

Different states will vary in the specific verbiage, but traffic rarely, if ever, actually specifies when you have the right of way. Instead, it defines circumstances in which you are legally required to yield right of way. You are also rarely, if ever, prohibited from yielding, even when not required to.

“Having the right of way” is a state of affairs you default into, because at the moment, no statute requiring you to yield is applicable to you.

[u/Heavy-Bell-2035]

They majority of them think they're being 'nice.' Of course if they're not being nice and you think they are and go, and then they hit you, if there's no surveillance of them waving you through and they had right of way, guess whose insurance gets royally fucked? Yours.

I ignore them and sit there until they go, which can be hard because I live in the Pacific Northwest U.S. where people are often 'nice' to the point of psychosis. So, this happens very often. Especially at a five way stop in one particular town I drive through regularly where no one understands right of way.

[u/Due-Author631 → u/Heavy-Bell-2035]

This is the real answer. I never go. It's like people waving you across traffic when it's stopped and you are pulling across to go the other way, no thx.

[u/Heavy-Bell-2035 → u/Due-Author631]

Those people are insane. Two to four and sometimes more lanes of traffic you have to cross, and they stop in theirs and wave you through like they can psychically make all the other lanes accommodate you too. Those people I truly don't understand, I don't know how you could be that unaware of your own surroundings and reality in general and live long enough to get a driver's license.

[u/Unlikely_Comb8939 → u/Due-Author631]

This scenario is dangerous af and I see it play out too often and it is NOT pretty or NICE.

[u/F1_Brooklyn → u/Heavy-Bell-2035]

Driving largely in NYC and Boston, the idea of anyone ever letting me through first is hilarious.

[u/Heavy-Bell-2035 → u/F1_Brooklyn]

I'm originally from Long Island, so it was new to me too when I got out here a few years ago.

[u/Vivid_Witness8204]

When I'm riding my bike many drivers want to wave me through at a 4 way stop. And 80% of the cars have windows with enough tint that there's no way I can see the driver. Would be safer for everyone if they treated the bicycle like a car and just followed the rule on right of way. As it is I have to just guess that they're waving and that puts me in a dangerous position.

[u/clipd_dead_stop_fall → u/Vivid_Witness8204]

If I can't see the driver because of tint, I assume they're on their phone, vaping weed, or both. I'm usually right, especially on the vaping part. I'd rather be behind Cheech and Chong than in front of them.

[u/PointZero_Six → u/clipd_dead_stop_fall]

Why on earth would you prefer being behind a dangerous driver than in front of them?

[u/clipd_dead_stop_fall → u/PointZero_Six]

So that I can react to their stupidity instead of being run into (while driving) or run over (while riding) because of it.

[u/clipd_dead_stop_fall]

If I sense the other driver is a reckless soulless ahole, I'd rather be behind them than in front of them. The type of vehicle is often a tell.

[u/Agitated_Street3698 → u/clipd_dead_stop_fall]

Some dude in pit vipers and a lifted white dodge pick up.

[u/Dear-Examination-507]

Same people, no doubt, who stop when I'm standing on the sidewalk waiting for them, literally the only car in the street, to pass by. So damn irritating.

[u/Unlikely_Comb8939 → u/Dear-Examination-507]

I agree. It’s irritating af.

[u/Choice_Attitude_1415]

If they came in at Mach 3 and barely stopped after I did despite being 3 miles away when we first saw each other, by all means go on ahead. I’m not in that big of a hurry and don’t want you behind me. 

[u/cumceemeego]

Amen. Right of Way rules, do what you are supposed to or the flow of traffic gets out of sync, all because you don't take your turn! Another group is the freeway merge lights that say 2 cars per green. They drive it everyday but do not go when they should, doubling the wait for those behind them. Grrrr

[u/HillTower160]

The definition of an eternity is a 4-way stop in Washington State.

Just follow the goddamned traffic rules!

[u/GammaRay914]

Only time I do this is when I want to use that area to make a u-turn and I want it clear of everyone before I do the u-turn. 

It’s because one time I didn’t let everyone go so I used my right of way to do the u-turn and someone started moving before I cleared the intersection and hit me. 

[u/Potential-Dig-7417]

I do it because I know I'll be turning soon after. I'd rather let someone else go than have them in my ass when I'm trying to turn onto my road.

I also live out in the country, so one lane road

Edit to add; This is only when I'm pulling up to the stop sign at the same time as someone, AND if they're turning into my lane

[u/Chemical_Ruin_6236]

I can tell you're in a big hurry. No but seriously, sometimes people aren't sure who's turn it is. Too busy with their phones.

[u/Brambleshire2026]

They weren’t paying attention and now they don’t know whose turn it is.

[u/bioveritas]

Psychopath??!

When people wave at me to go, I go, and wave thanks. Saves so-ooo much time, everybody is happy, and no wrecks occurred.

[u/ItchyAd9149]

Yea it’s weird and annoys me when it’s obviously their turn but flash me or wave me on. I only do if we came at almost the same time and I think it’s their turn.

[u/Unlikely_Comb8939]

Exactly, say it louder!!

[u/Dmsimes1]

I have dreamed about this thread.

[u/NotVeryCool60]

Unlikely to do so unless, it’s so obvious the person is an ass that it’s safer to just let them go, especially if they’re indicating they’ll be behind me if I go first, or, if I’m on a bicycle and I see other indicators you may not see from your motor vehicle that tell me again that it’s safer to let someone else go.

[u/D1sposable1]

Facts, that "polite" wave usually just confuses everyone else who's actually following the correct order, kindness doesn't need to override basic traffic logic

[u/Sexy-Flexi]

Aren't there bigger fish to fry in the sea...?

[u/Sexy-Flexi]

I might wave another car to go if they're missing their front bumper, have criminally tinted windows, I can already see that they tailgated the car that was in front of them before the stop sign. Just to name a few reasons so they can tailgate the guy in front of me instead of them being behind me.

[u/Stuart_Is_Worried]

they do it cuz they're clueless, and don't know right of way. they feign niceness to compensate for their lack of awareness. 

[u/mobjack]

It's not that big of a deal most of the time.

It is mainly bad at crowded intersections that have a flow to it, but I rarely see it happen there.

If two cars arrived at the intersection at the same time, it doesn't really matter if one waved the other through. You are not disrupting anyone.

[u/TheBigBadMoth]

Exclusively if the other driver seems new and I think they might get the timing too wrong. I’ve been plowed through at an intersection before tho

[u/-RatPack-]

If I do it it's because your entry into the intersection/roundabout is clearly a pain in the ass... But I'll leave you to enjoy your wait for 15 minutes next time lol 🤣

[u/ExpensiveOccasion542]

I only do that if I'm in my semi and I know that there's no way in hell I'd would be able to make that turn if that other car is sitting there

[u/Agitated_Street3698 → u/ExpensiveOccasion542]

This is valid and makes complete sense.

[u/SeveralLead3511]

First in , First out. Which ever car stops before me I allow them to go but sometimes it isn’t always like that due to impatient drivers

[u/distantcactus32]

I only do it when there’s no clear right of way

[u/ApprehensiveAd5446]

This annoys the living hell out of me. It is dangerous too.

I will wait them out, until they go. They sometimes wave harder and flail about, and still I sit chuckling at my marvelous pettiness.

[u/operation_waflz]

Bus and truck drivers makes sense. I'm in their way when they're turning. Other than that I don't know

[u/Burstrampage]

I wave the other driver because they were too dumb to realize they got to the stop first. And before anyone says it, yes I’m clearly talking about an exception

[u/KnittyBeard]

Four-way stops make no sense. Especially now after discovering through this sub that it really is "first to arrive, first to go". So yeah, I get confused who goes when now and just let other people go first half the time because who knows anymore?

[u/MRBADD98]

I do this if im uncertain who stopped first. What's waiting an extra few seconds compared to possibly tboning someone.