Yes, this is the value of optionality, as N.N.Taleb would say. I had exactly the same thought about crossing streets when reading one of his books. Always choo

Yes, this is the value of optionality, as N.N.Taleb would say. I had exactly the same thought about crossing streets when reading one of his books. Always choose a route where you have the choice to keep walking in some direction towards your destination, with a delayed jaywalk to cross to the side you want during a gap in traffic, rather than wait on a corner when a crossing is blocked. The reason for blockage can be a crosswalk light (if you obey them) or traffic itself - the rule applies even without any signal-controlled junctions.