When the stoplight doesn't work
 

In the Midwest, it is generally agreed between drivers that when a stoplight goes out, the intersection becomes a 4-Way stop for all approaches. Yesterday the light at 466a and Buena Vista was out for a hour or so. When I came to the intersection, traffic was stopped in all four directions. No one seemed to know the protocol. Is this different in other regions of the country?

Like you, we were taught to treat it as a 4-way stop. Having lived in multiple states, that has always been the case. Maybe people got confused/intimidated with two lanes of traffic and a turn lane? I guess that could be a little daunting.

Tom Because of Minnesota Nice they have no four way stops and so drivers pray that 4 way stop lights never go out ....you go first, no please you go first, no please.

For the rest of the country its alternating pattern

I believe it is the car on the right has r.o.w. Of course someone has to be first.

If car to you right meets at the inter section at the same time, the then then the car on the right has the rightway. If you and car across form you meet at the same time the car going straight has the right way. If you are turning and at the inter section first, you have the right away. The problem is all this right away IS AFTER YOU STOP behind the stop sign or line across the road. IF you don't stop you are not inline! And the roll through NOT legal STOP.

in Fla, it is a four way stop if it is out. If blinking it depends on what color you get.

True.......We are always reminded of this after a hurricane and all the lights are out.

You are dealing with old people who don't have a clue.

don't have a clue about what?

Are you one of them?

That's because most of them are sitting on their brains. They drive too slow, they make sudden lane changes and don't seem to know how to use directional signals, etc, etc, etc. Only thing about this post that surprises me is that all four weren't moving into each other at the same time.