By MARY KAY RAUMA

For The Beachcomber

Every few years, King County asks us to weigh in on the idea of a stop light at Bank Road and Vashon Highway. As I notice traffic on Vashon getting heavier, I wonder if we’ll be able to dodge this bullet the next time around. The question of replacing a four-way stop with a stop light has implications much more expansive than traffic control. It is a question of whether we can continue to be, or not to be, Vashon.

In a way, Vashon’s four-way stops are a social microcosm of what makes us unique. A stop sign forces us to pause, look around, and take notice of our surroundings. We are not anonymous bodies in cars passing through on electronic cue, but individuals who need to engage, cooperate and be accountable to each other in order to cross the divide. Four-way stops encourage connectedness; stop lights discourage interaction. Four-way stops bring out our uniqueness; stop lights require uniformity. Four-way stops make us think; stop lights turn us into color-prompted zombies.

Take, for example, the unspoken “rules” of the four-way stop on Vashon. The “right of way” is often trumped by the “I’m late for a ferry, thanks for understanding” way.

Metro and school buses can pretty much do what they want to.

If you snooze, you lose; in other words, if you get to the stop sign first and skip too many beats before hitting the accelerator, your turn is up for grabs.

If you are at the four-way stop and engage in a conversation with someone on the sidewalk, in the crosswalk or in a passing vehicle, cars will work around you until “Vashon Patience” (about 30 seconds longer than “Mainland Patience”) wears out.

Pedestrians rule. Even if they enter the crosswalk when you are well on your way across the intersection, you must wait in the “island of shame” while they saunter in front of you.

If no one is at the stop and it’s the middle of the night, a “California stop” (rolling stop) is possible, but not legal (and if you have my luck with Vashon cops, you will get a ticket doing so).

Flashing your lights means “go ahead,” honking your horn means “go to hell,” and a wave through means “go instead.”

There are all sorts of genres of four-way-stop drivers on Vashon that we’d miss out on if there were stop lights.

There’s the “I’m old and can barely see over the steering wheel, so I’m going for it” driver. There’s the “I’m driving a stick shift, talking on the cell phone and drinking a cup of coffee” driver who we’d all like to be mad at, but let’s face it, most of us have been there. There’s the “I’m from the mainland and don’t know my way” person. There’s the “my car is really big, so I don’t need to follow the rules” driver. There’s the “I wasn’t paying attention when I stopped so I’ll guess” person. There’s the “my dog is crawling over me and slobbering in my ear so I can’t really keep track of my driving” person. There’s the “I’m really indecisive so I’m going to start, no stop, no start, no stop” person. And, finally, there is the “we haven’t covered this in Driver’s Ed yet” driver along with his horrified co-pilot shouting apologies out the passenger window. And the list expands as you read this.

Four-way stops require a little extra effort, and, let’s be frank, can cause moments of extreme exasperation. But, isn’t that a small price to pay for all of the fringe benefits? Next time you stop, think about it.

— Mary Kay Rauma is the Beachcomber’s advertising representative.