I've been bike commuting in the East Bay Area of California (5mi/day, plus public transport) for a few weeks now.

I recently attended an in-class safety course, where I learned the fine for not stopping at a stop sign is $250, AND a point on your drivers license (some people were there to remove this point, so people do get cited).

Since then, I've been mostly obeying the stopping laws. But, another takeaway of that class was the importance of predictability.

I feel like stopping puts me in danger when I seem to be the only one to do it. If no one expects me to stop, I am worried about bikes and cars not properly anticipating it, and my being involved in a collision. I know, it wouldn't be my fault legally, but it sort of is my fault because I'm knowingly being unpredictable by stopping, yet do it anyway. And of course, it doesn't matter who was right, I don't want anyone to get hurt!

My plan is just to continue to stop, per the law, but I thought I'd check with you all. I don't have enough experience to know whether this is a valid concern.

Thanks!

([Idaho Stop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop): Treating stop signs as yields, and less pertinent to this question, stop lights as stop signs.)