Along a route I often take to get back to my apartment, there is a two-way stop just before approaching the on-ramp to the highway. Headed in my direction, traffic does not stop heading through the intersection, but the intersecting street has a sign on both sides.
Often as I approach this intersection with the two-way stop, cars approaching their stop on the right nearly pull out right in front of me and cut me off as I pass through.
And often as I watch this happen, I shake my head and mumble something along the lines of, “Idiot” or “Learn to drive” as I pass by and onto the highway.
Yesterday morning, coming from a different location, I approached that intersection for the first time from the street with the two-way stop. Without realizing it, I took a right turn and cut off oncoming traffic.
Something about that intersection felt like a four-way stop. I was sort of on autopilot and thought oncoming would also be stopping, giving me the right of way to turn right as they approached “their stop” (which doesn’t exist).
Now I understand what so many other drivers think and feel approaching that intersection. We aren’t so different! But it took me seeing the situation from another perspective.