betaylored wrote:

During all the discussions/news reports on-air about the severe wind storm last week, radio stations were helpful, as radio always is, reminding listeners to treat non-working traffic lights as a four-way stop, to prevent confusion over who had the right of way.

Driving up to an intersection at Yonge and Rosedale yesterday morning, I got stranded in a traffic jam. Turns out that the traffic lights were out, and people didn't have the foggiest idea what to do. This isn't unusual.

At the time of the wind storm I didn't hear a single complete explaination of exactly what a four-way traffic stop is, and how it works. And I was up and down the dial all day. In future when there's severe weather, if radio hosts and reporters, whose voices are right there in the car with drivers listening, were to occasionally drop in a quick description of a four-way stop, the people who already know, can enjoy feeling smugly satisfied that they know, radio stations can show next level concern for the public safety, and do some good in the process, and drivers who don't know, might learn what a four-way traffic stop means.

I guess it all depends on where you were. Just after the storm on Friday, I was driving in the Don Mills & Finch area in rush hour, needing to get west to a neighbourhood near Bathurst & Steeles. At least 10 of the 20 or so traffic lights I passed were out. 

Here's where the different perspective comes in. My sister, who lives in the New York City area, was here for a visit and in the car with me and was constantly commenting on how amazing it was that everyone seemed to be cooperating and obeying that "four way stop" edict. She simply couldn't believe how well everyone was behaving, noting that if she was at home, it would have been absolute chaos, with almost everyone out for themselves.

To an outsider, it worked better than she believed possible. So I guess it depends on where you were coming from, both figuratively and literally. 

A four-way is a three-way + Stormy Daniels

One of my goals for this thread was to bring something to the attention of the influential brains that come to the big yellow board.

The above responses to this thread are the b.y.b. itself distilled into a few posts: they are helpful, witty, informative, expanding the topic making room for, and inviting more views and ..... well the last one.

Thanks for your time. Happy radio days and safe driving.

Last edited by betaylored (May 8, 2018 12:55 pm)