If a person owns a driver’s license, it’s assumed that person knows how to properly cross a four-way intersection.

Or, so we thought.

Last Thursday’s severe thunderstorm surged power at the intersection of Hillside and 21st Street, causing traffic to delay and result in a four-way stop.

As I slowly approached the intersection, I noticed drivers blaring through from all four directions, no hesitation, not even a second glance to see who would be coming at them. Occasionally, the first row of drivers would cross east and west on 21st, followed by the first row of drivers crossing north and south on Hillside.

When it finally became my turn to cross, I looked to the right, giving that driver the “right-of-way.” The car behind me honked, ushering me to proceed forward, followed by other cars randomly running through the dead light.

To better judge the situation, I parked my car in front of Charles Koch Arena later that day. I nestled in just behind the Wichita State University sign off Hillside and 21st. For an hour, I observed 26 hesitations, 14 awkward stop-and-gos and four fist shakes — one who appeared to mouth the words, “Why I oughta.”

Just when I lost all hope for Wichita drivers, I saw a student trying to walk across the street. Fear consumed his entire face as he wavered across the crosswalk from Fairmount Towers. It was like watching a real life game of “Frogger.”

After my observations, I realized there is truly no hope when a bad storm surges power at a traffic light, unless of course, a traffic officer with a whistle flew in to save the day. As a driver, you make the best of the brief altercation and pray you make it through alive.

Pedestrians, however, use a detour.