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Yeah, this right here. If you’re mad it happens to you when you are just making sure everyone is actually stopping at their red light, you can blame the morons who stare at their phones while driving and run red lights, and the morons who stare at their phones while waiting at red lights.

Seriously put your fucking phone down, you’re driving

I've driven in places where a few seconds was just how long people sat at the green light. I didn't get it until I was there long enough to notice how insanely often cross traffic was definitely successfully sneaking through that yellow at the last moment.

I don't do it to that extent, but I do now give it a few beats to account for other drivers insanity.

I try to assume positive things, so if someone hasn't gone after a few I tend to assume that they've done what I know I've done, which is to pull up to the light and rather than intently watch the light, to keep looking at the road and cross traffic and just not notice the light change in my upper periphery.
Way more common if there's a protected turn at the intersection or it's otherwise not symmetrical.

My trick: IMMEDIATELY release the brake so the guy behind me knows I’m clearly paying complete attention, but don’t touch the gas until I’ve seen folks starting to stop from both directions and don’t see any potential runners. Also more efficient to start from a roll than a stop.

This kind of subtle communication is really helpful while driving. When I’m blocked moving somewhere, I’ll leave tons of space so I can crawl at a barely perceptible pace towards the blockage as it moves outta the way. e.g. I want to let pedestrians in a crosswalk get both feet onto the curb* but that might be unusual to the point another driver doesn’t know if I’m waiting or distracted. The crawl says “yeah I’m going…” and prevents honks. Though def need enough space, a slow enough speed, and a smile and a wave, so the pedestrian won’t feel rushed or in danger.

*non-divided/medianless roads

Another vote in agreement. I read this post and thought the author had no idea how long the light was green cause he wasn’t paying attention.

Also, the guy behind him made the light, but 3 cars back might not have because this guy is not paying attention.

The light leaving my neighborhood is about 5 seconds long, so you get 2 seconds to at least let off the brake. Missing it means waiting another 5 min before the light is green again. I get it, in my state we have people blowing through blatant red lights so it’s worth some action. but when there’s a line of 6 cars behind you, I’m not going to let you perpetuate the problem of people running reds… because you’re not even looking. Yes Joe next door, I see you on your phone, every day.

In more positive news, love the summer. Ride the bike more than drive the car. So much less headache. When I sell my house, I’m moving to a walkable city so my car is near pointless and it’s cheaper to Uber.

This is exactly what I'm thinking. This dude can snark all he wants but most drivers aren't honking unless you're sitting at a green light, more than likely because you're not paying attention.

It's actually more like 4 seconds average, even if you are paying attention because most people only get moving when the person before them starts moving. So like thunder and lightning, there is a delay between the time you see the light turn green and the people ahead of you actually move.

It's absolutely infuriating.

Yeah, I give them 2 full seconds then tap my horn.

I had a guy lay on his horn because I chose not to run over the old lady crossing the street.

Even if I'm doing something I probably shouldn't, I never miss a light for more than like half a second. It's not hard to be both irresponsible and look up often.

Some horns are stiff. It can be hard to make it go beep beep without going full HOOOOONK.

Right on red is optional AND requires a full stop first. The amount of people that just roll right through without a stop like they have any right of way then get pissed when the cross traffic blasts by in front of them

I drive a manual sometimes and never really have a problem starting at a light. The real problem is being 4 cars back and the car in front of you starts to move 3 inches forward after the light has been green for 30 seconds then abruptly stops and you stall your car. It's great.