Actions to Inaction, A Sucker's Payoff
Fear of getting a sucker’s payoff in action. This is gridlock with two wide open lanes. The only vehicles moving in this picture are the ones on the over pass. Not seen is the blocks of stopped traffic behind the buses, including those who wish to access the two wide open lanes.
What is going on here? This is a one way street with the right hand lanes being in high demand. An upcoming right hand turn is the shortest route to the overhead freeway. Backup from this freeway access route changes the incentives at this intersection from law abiding, public good producing, to I’m not going to be a sucker and let someone else take my spot.
Lawfully, actors must abide by luck based access of the timing of vacancy and lights being in their favor to proceed. California Vehicle Code Section 22526(a), designed to mitigate gridlock, makes it unlawful to enter the intersection unless there is enough space to get through. In theory, who is able to move forward and fill the clearing is based on the luck of who has a green light at the time of vacancy. At this intersection, at this time, it could be several light cycles before a clear spot opens up.
In practice, anyone can occupy the intersection to eliminate the chance of being unlucky and eliminate the chance of someone else defecting from the law abiding strategy. If I don’t enter the intersection spot when I have the green light, I run the risk of the other persons taking the intersection spot when it’s their green light. The other drivers at the intersection face the same incentives, and we are all strangers. Often there is some camaraderie between bus drivers, but apparently not between those pictured here.
Once one person defects, future players at this intersection defect. It would be clear they would be a sucker not to defect seeing someone else already having done so. As for the law? There is no one to enforce it here, and if there were an officer present the benefits of enforcing the law would be outweighed by simply giving direction to the traffic at the intersection. The result of all this is the guy with the backpack being the fastest on the block.