Common courtesy.

Last night, during some of my many hours on the road, I figured out what was adding at least fifteen minutes onto most commutes. The law, and common courtesy, states that if you can't make it through the intersection before the light changes, you should not be in it. I.E. (id est, that is) if traffic is backed up all the way to the crosswalk, you shouldn't pull into the intersection as the light is turning yellow. Additionally, if the car in front of you does that, you should not follow.

However, at at least a dozen intersections, I noticed myself and other directions of traffic missing multiple lights in a row because cross-traffic was in the intersection for the entirety of the green light. That, in turn, caused the cars behind us to not move, which caused the cars behind them to not move, etc.

Two or three cars decided that sitting in the intersection sets of a cyclical building of more and more traffic.

I wouldn't be so annoyed by it if it actually did them so good. I can understand trying to make it past a certain point if a freight train is coming, or a bridge is going up, and you won't be able to move for 15 minutes due to external circumstances. But sitting behind the thick white line where you're supposed is not inherently worse than sitting in the middle of the intersection. You're not going to make the next light if traffic is backed up that far. The action did no good, while creating a lot of harm. Stupid.

I can kind of deal with jerks if they're at least getting ahead. But stupid jerks who gain nothing and hurt others in the process is just maddening.