Unusual Intersections I

What's an All-Way Stop? Yep, that's right, it's a common type of road intersection in the US, where two roads of similar importance meet without traffic lights. And it's incredibly puzzling if you're from the land of roundabouts. The idea is that everyone stops when they approach, and then the vehicles pass through in order of arrival. Fair enough, that sounds easy enough, but imagine the case where there are two or three cars queued up in each direction. You have remember the order of arrival of those ten or so cars, and who arrived earlier than you. In practice, people politely and cautiously take turns, after making eye contact with other drivers. It does make you feel part of the community, meeting the locals in this way, but it's certainly not as simple as whizzing through a roundabout.