Congratulations, You Stopped at the Stop Sign!

Shadow melting in today's heat.

Holding a track stand at the stop sign in town, I waved the other cars on. Then I heard it. Someone shouting out their car window at me. Oh man, I know it's not to say "hey nice ar$e" so I put on my deflective armor that reads I'm rubber your glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you. But piercing through was the distinct voice of a woman who likely spent a few too many years smoking. "Congratulations! You stopped at the stop sign! Not everyone does you know!".

I have to say it's refreshing to be yelled out for doing something good versus doing something bad. I stop at the majority of stop signs. Um, disregard the ticket I got from the SFPD for allegedly not making a full stop in San Francisco the other day. Yep, at the corner of North Point St. and Van Ness Ave - you've been warned. But the driver did say "not everyone does you know". I spin that as referring to cyclists and drivers alike. For example we live in the safest cul de sac you can imagine. Traffic is minimal except for, well us, the neighbors and occasional friends who drive in but seriously the kids are good to go run in the street.

Get near the stop sign at the top of the hill? Forget it. Well my son is getting old enough now but it took years of training. Kids, this is a stop sign. It means stop. If you are a bike you stop, if you are a driver, you stop. If you are on a skateboard you stop. So then I ask them, "Does that mean everyone stops at stop signs?".  They shake their heads saying "no daddy, not everyone stops..we can't trust stop signs..we know we know, look both ways and look again hey what's for dinner?"

If we ever go to Idaho where the law is different I'll seriously confuse them. In Idaho cyclists treat a stop sign as a yield sign. Stop if there's a car, etc otherwise feel free to roll. I would tell my kids the same with one important caveat. I would implore "But if you do stop for heaven's sake call it out! If any local kid is riding or driving behind you they are not going to expect you to stop!!".  Hmmm, maybe we won't visit Idaho any time soon.

Cyclists are constantly faced with sudden choices as they ride. Debris on the side of the road, wind gusts, driveways, distracted drivers, drivers taking the turn NASCAR/Turbo apex style thereby cutting you off around a corner, mechanicals,  etc. So sure, we're not perfect by any means. I would say most of us do our best to abide by the rules of the road. But next time you see a cyclist out there doing the right thing...consider nicely congratulating them. Let them know their actions are sincerely appreciated and that they are role models for their kind. Well ok, you don't have to go that far. But this lady did set the bar high. The next time I stop at a stop sign, I'll be disappointed if no one thanks me. Now if I can only get someone to clap for my track stand. Anyone?