Quick Quiz

[retchp]

I have a question...Lets suppose that four vehicles arrive at a four way stop sign with limit lines, at an intersection of two highways...All four vehicles arrive at exactly the same time and stop at their respective limit line at exactly the same moment.
The first vehicle is a CHP unit driven by an officer not enroute to a call.
The second vehicle is a US Mail carrier truck loaded with mail.
The third vehicle is an ambulance transporting a patient to a hospital, but not code three.
The fourth vehicle is you, enroute to your first day at the Academy.
Which vehicle and driver have the right of way and should proceeed first?
I'll give you the correct answer a little later.

[Tom]

Can I guess? Mail truck. (only if delivering)

[dw]

Does it start with 2180...?

[bcjack]

Here is my shot...and maybe I can get a rumor cleared up that I was told (By a long-time Postal supervisor) 35 years ago. A postal vehicle, while in the course of its duties, is generally exempt from ALL Vehicle Code provisions...

Something to do with FEDERAL Postal Regulations and how important the deliver of the mail is.

[retchp]

DW wrote:
Does it start with 2180...?
Hint...read the question carefully.

[Tom]

Wait! It's a trick question.....we are ALWAYS enroute to a call.

Or its the one on the right.....:rolleyes:

Tom

[nobody33]

I have a question...Lets suppose that four vehicles arrive at a four way stop sign with limit lines, at an intersection of two highways...All four vehicles arrive at exactly the same time and stop at their respective limit line at exactly the same moment.



Hmmm, if they arrive at "a" stop sign maybe they are all traveling the same direction just in seperate lanes. If they were coming from different directions they would be stopping at stop "signs" plural or just at a four way stop-deleting the word "sign." In this case they could all go at the same time... but I don't know of any 8 lane highways with stop signs... and its nitpicking the English.


//Considered majoring in English once instead of Public Admin....

[retchp]

Yes it is nitpicking the English...
:sad:
It is an intersection of two highways at 90 degree angles. At the intersection there is a standard stop sign posted at each corner. Get it...a total of four stop SIGNS.

And I guess you mean separate not seperate???????:razz:

[Cameron]

Well, RETCHP, is the ambulance Code 2? You didn't specify that. If the ambulance is Code 2, I'd assume it has the right of way.

By the way, this question is driving me crazy. :smile:

[retchp]

Nope. Just taking a patient from one hospital to another. I am hoping to get a few more answers before I let you know.

[Cameron]

Ok, here's the deal:

This question is normally posed as "a fire truck, an ambulance carrying a patient, and a CHP officer. None of them are Code 3" Plus, of course, the mail truck.

However, this one is trickier. This one (thanks, RETCHP, haha!), substitutes the fire truck with a kid on his way to the CHP academy. Normally, postal truck would be in last place, with the first question. However, with this question, I would give the mail truck preference over the CHP cadet.

Therefore, whoever is to the right of the CHP cadet will go first. Then, the next person to the right. Then, the next person to the right.

AND, this is officially my guess.

By the way, how loser-ish is it to for me to spend half an hour researching this stuff? haha!

[Cameron]

PS- so the kid on his way to the Academy would go last, in other words. Or maybe I'm totally wrong! :smile:

[KingFrankSam]

Who's proceeding straight, and who's turning?

[nobody33]

Hehe :smile: Setting aside all the space/time continuum issues involved here, and what the "definition of 'is' is," I think I'm going to stick with they can all proceed safely at the same time. If at least 2 are turning they are ok.

[Welpe]

I'm going with a baseball umpire's answer....that's no such thing as a tie, someone got there first.

OK honestly, I don't know. :lol:

[DESERT RAT]

They all can go at the same time! They are all making right turns and for once everyone is using their turn signal at the exact same time, so their is no right of way issue. (I know, I added some stuff to the equation, but hey it works for me!)

[Tom]

This is important - which ones are on their cell phones.:shock:

[retchp]

The Answer...According to me...
Section 21800 (c) VC says: When two vehicles enter an intersection from different
highways at the same time and the intersection is controlled from all
directions by stop signs, the driver of the vehicle on the left
shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on his or her immediate
right.

Yes this was/is a trick question posted to let cadets and aspiring cadets begin to think about the law and various glitches within the law. I liked reading the law and thinking it through and felt that made me a better officer.

It doesn't matter in the question whether it is a mail truck a chp car, an ambulance or a cadet. This is a right of way question as some quickly figured out. Since the question said nothing about "turning", the premise is that all wish to proceed straight.

Therin lies the problem...according to law a driver must yield to the vehicle on his/her right in such a situation. However, they all arrived at exactly the same moment and therefore each has a vehicle on his/her right. Therefore no one can proceed and all must remain there for all eternity until the drivers perish and the vehicles rust away to dust over the eons of time. At least according to the letter of the law.

Additionally, no one can "take" the right of way so the right of way must be "given". The only way out of this quandry is for someone to wave someone else, hopefully on their right, to proceed and once that happens, the others proceed according to law.

Yes I know it is silly, but it makes you think and if you study the codes carefully they are full of such things.:smile:

Thanks for your thoughts and reasonings.

[Tom]

Man.....I knew that!!!

Tom:idea:

[DESERT RAT]

21800(c) V.C. states when 2 vehicles enter an intersection? Your scenario said 4 vehicles entered an intersection? Looks like someone needs to put in a revision! HEHEHEHHE. The devil is in the details, you just gotta love words! Oh and to finish it off, if and when someone decides to take the right of way, the CHP cruiser goes next with lights blazing for his right of way Tag!

[dw]

This has always been my perspective, and I swear it was how we were taught in the Academy, but I can't find anything in my Vehicle Code notes...

21800(c) discusses two vehicles that enter an intersection from different highways at the same time. The key being enter. The four vehicles are all stopped behind the marked or unmarked crosswalk / prolongations of the roadway. 21800(c) only comes into effect when someone accelerates forward, entering the intersection. If two vehicles do so simultaneously, then yielding comes into play. Yes, all four could accelerate at the same time, but that's less likely.

The point of my argument is that (common courtesy aside), if car A stops at the intersection 1 second after car B, but (after stopping as required by law) accelerates into the intersection before car B, then car A (first into the intersection) has the right-of-way.

Anyone else with me... Bueller...?

EDIT: I'm willing to admit this probably wasn't the legislative intent, but it works for my literal interpretation.

[CHP Explorer]

G and R Gun It and Run it

[Cameron]

haha, I agree. If I were the post office truck driver, I would hit my flashy orange caution lights and blow through that intersection! Cruiser, ambulance, and CHP Cadet would bounce off my USPS "Big Rubber Bumpers Of Wrath" :lol: :lol: :lol:

[dw]

This is important - which ones are on their cell phones.:shock:

They all are, duh! :lol:

[BoySergeant]

Whoever can get into the intersection first gets it. In this case, It'd be me because everyone knows a good chippie isn't late for coffee and doesn't get wet!! And if the chippie isn't going to a call, then he's got to be going to coffee!

:biggrin:

[dw]

Whoever can get into the intersection first gets it. In this case, It'd be me because everyone knows a good chippie isn't late for coffee and doesn't get wet!! And if the chippie isn't going to a call, then he's got to be going to coffee!

:biggrin:

You forgot one important part of the equation. You're a Sergeant now, and the Sergeant would never even be able to find the intersection! ;)

[BoySergeant]

OH... can't find an intersection eh? Listen here class-mate-o-mine, I can find plenty of intersections now that you hooked up that nifty gps to my laptop. Puttin on stripes doesn't make you brain dead. Does it? There's a loaded question. :biggrin:



By the way, the gps isn't working. :sad:

[dw]

OH... can't find an intersection eh? Listen here class-mate-o-mine, I can find plenty of intersections now that you hooked up that nifty gps to my laptop. Puttin on stripes doesn't make you brain dead. Does it? There's a loaded question. :biggrin:



By the way, the gps isn't working. :sad:

Go figure. Not only does the S-unit need a GPS to get around, but he needs a TO to show him how to use it. Some things will never change. :rolleyes: ;)

[bcjack]

But...If the GPS is not working...He can't be found...eh???:lol:

[BoySergeant]

I'll admit EVERYTHING. Just think, this is Pre-lobotomy!!!! :biggrin:

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

I remember my grandpa saying before the postal person has the ride away, at least that was how it was before.