As a pedestrian I often use eye contact for the opposite reason: a multi-way stop where I’m worried if I cross I’ll end up pissing off several cars, and despite that they’re all being too polite and won’t just go, even though it would be fastest and safest for us all.
So what do I do? Get to the corner and stubbornly refuse to look up at any of the cars, and don’t really face my body toward any possible crossing. Not being able to wave me on (I’ve always found being waved in front of a motor vehicle somewhat menacing, tbh), the drivers quickly clear the four-way stop and I can cross without worrying about causing a jam.
Anyways, the AI will have a lot to learn of the crazy habits people build to keep from being lawfully murdered because “but cars”.
Ha. I do this too: as a cyclist who generally follows traffic laws and vehicular cycling behavior, I get annoyed when cars that obviously have the right of way at an intersection want to wait for me to go through first. So, I just stare at the ground and don't move until they do.
I know they're trying to be nice, but it ends up slowing everyone down: suppose a car and a bike are approaching a four-way-stop intersection with the car clearly going to arrive a couple seconds before the bike. As the cyclist, I would assume the car will come to a stop or almost-stop, wait about a half or one second, then start moving. With that assumption in mind, I'll adjust my speed so that I slow down for the stop sign (prepared to stop in an emergency) and roll through right behind the predicted position of the car, without losing too much momentum.
If the car takes their right of way, this is great. But suppose they decide to stop completely and wait for the bike to go through first (against the right of way). Now as the cyclist, I also have to stop completely, since I don't know when they're going to start moving again. If we make eye contact, I'd feel safe to go, but I feel like that's reinforcing bad behavior. Instead I refuse to make eye contact and force them to go first, as they should have initially.
That's why I added the qualifier "generally". When there's little or no intersecting traffic and no ambiguity about right of way, it seems perfectly safe to me to slow down but not completely stop at stop signs (i.e. the "Idaho Stop"). But I admit it's technically not legal where I am. Of course, most cars don't come to a full stop at stop signs in those situations either.
So what do I do? Get to the corner and stubbornly refuse to look up at any of the cars, and don’t really face my body toward any possible crossing. Not being able to wave me on (I’ve always found being waved in front of a motor vehicle somewhat menacing, tbh), the drivers quickly clear the four-way stop and I can cross without worrying about causing a jam.
Anyways, the AI will have a lot to learn of the crazy habits people build to keep from being lawfully murdered because “but cars”.