Well, we got slammed here in North Carolina. I was fortunate to have electricity (which I need for heat), but half of my apartment complex was without. The part that was without was the part that our Cable TV node is located in, so I didn't have that. I get my internet through Cable.

The other thing that happened is that many traffic signals went dark. They were not functioning due to the lack of electricity, so I am putting this poll in. I know when I lived in the western USA that when you encountered a malfunctioning or disabled traffic signal, that the intersection became a 4-way (or how ever many way) stop. Apparently not in North Carolina as people seem to think that if you're on the main road they can just blaze through the malfunctioning light at twice the posted speed.

So using the closest option in the poll above, what is the law in your locality?

--LT

Up here in Canada (or at least BC), the law is if the lights aren't working, the whole thing becomes a 4-way stop. Doesn't matter what size the roads are relative to each other.

Of course, most people being idiots, very few people actually obey this.

Here in Germany we have additional traffic signs next to the traffic lights to regulate the right of way just in case the lights might be out of order.

We love to regulate everything.

ringlo

Losethem (imported) wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2002 1:27 pm So using the closest option in the poll above, what is the law in your locality?

--LT

As a 4-way stop, or however many streets meet. Most people in my area are good about this. Not sure about the rest of Los Angeles County.

Losethem,

I am glad that you had at least, in part, electric for heat. I have heard so many still do not have service back yet. At the peak of the outage, I heard some 1.2 million were without power! This must be a nightmare for the power crew to fix! Not to mention the hardship everyone is enduring.

As to your poll:

In Maryland, over the years I have seen my share of traffic signals go out, due mostly to summer storms. When a signal goes out, it is supposed to be treated as a 4-way stop. The vehicle to the right has the right-of-way, or if it is a less busy intersection, the vehicle that stopped first may procced after a full stop. At other times, the power gets knocked out for a short period, and when the power comes back on the signals go to flashing. Usually yellow for the main route and red for the cross street. This means the main traffic should slow when approching a yellow flashing signal ( very unlikely in most cases!). A few of the other drivers in a 4-way-stop situation, give the right-of-way even if they have it. The majority can't wait to get through the intersection and go even without stopping! It seems like there are more and more rude drivers these days ( maybe that's just my observation). For instance, a line of cars are stopped for a light and you are waiting to pull out into traffic from a driveway, 99% will not let you pull out ahead of them. This really ticks me off! As if one car is going to make them any later than they already are! I have been driving for some 29 years now, and in the past 5 years, the bad drivers I see seem to be getting worse all the time. Gee, I could go on and on about the idiots on the road today, but I'll hold myself back for now.

I just had to add my $0.02 worth to this thread!

LOSETHEM in northern cal when the electric goes out the stop lights go into a red flashing mode. I realy feel bad for you in that storm i think if we had a storm like that in loomis half the people would go crazy the other half would wreck thair cars.Any way it has been 60 degres out here but we need rain. Anyway stay safe and keep off the ice.

That's the rule here. People here are pretty good about obeying this rubric.

Blaise (imported) wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2002 2:17 pm That's the rule here. People here are pretty good about obeying this rubric.

Here in Missouri, the law is the same as in any other state, it becomes a 4 way. However the drivers here in Missouri think if the light has only been red for 4 or 5 seconds they still can go through. I would love to see them do this in Califorina. In Cal if you are stopped at a light your head is looking to the side to see when that light is going to change and when its Green the race is on. These local assholes would not last 5 minutes in LA or Bay Area traffic, Creeps. Oh yes a Stop sign meens if I get there before you do I dont even need to slow down.

They keep talking about this eunuch calm shit, MY ASS. Ten minutes on the road here and I am ready to blow someone away.

Keep smiling, that what my doctor says, write it down and smile. breath in, breath out.

River.

Hey Sag 111---

I was given my initial drivers license about 90 miles from where you are located now. It was a rural area. That is probably why I know what to do. We only had 2 stop lights in the whole county, so most people slowed at intersections.

Oh well, add it to the list of reason I wish to leave North Carolina. I hear Wyoming is nice this time of year...