The
TYWKIWDBI blog is the source of this pic:
Back in the 60's we lived there for a while,
and were told that when your lane of traffic is stopped at a STOP sign,
once you have stopped your own car, you don't have to stop again for that intersection.
What this meant in heavy traffic was that when one car got through the intersection,
all the other cars behind it could and did go right on thru - without stopping.
But, then the cross-traffic was then caught in a dead stop.
Once I was first car caught in such a blockage, so I had my wife take the wheel.
I got out of the car and (carefully) stepped in front of a car coming thru the intersection.
When that car stopped, and my wife drove through the gap
... as did all the cars behind her !
It was incredible how angry was the driver of the car I stopped
... and all the drivers behind him.