Is this a legal left turn?

I'm on a two lane road, each lane opposing traffic. And there is an entrance into a parking lot of my apartments on the left, and there is an entrance into a school on the right. So it makes a type of intersection, kinda. There is a police officer right in the middle there, directing traffic. I'm right there, and I want to make a left turn into the parking lot of of the apartments. The police officer has signaled me to stop with his hand, then turns his body forward to tell the drivers at the entrance of the school to go forward. These cars are mostly turning right. So the oncomming traffic on the left lane is clear, and nobody is making any left turns from the entrance of the school.

I then decide to make the left turn into the apartments. So was this legal or not?
Additional Details
I was never pulled over or sited for doing this.

Patrick W

Was there a traffic signal or did you turn legally regardless of the traffic cop. Actually why do you care at this point but I've done the same thing and don't worry about it. Use your best judgement and obey signs, signals unless there's none then obey the cop. I had to manuever my car to avoid someone hitting my mirror and go around a cops fat *** because she had no clue, is she gonna pay for my car damage? I didn't go nor hit her or get hit,, Get it ? hahah..

Rich Z

I think as soon as you disregarded his instructions to wait until he had the road clear it became illegal.

Jeffrey J

At this point you are under the control of the officer at the intersection. Not waiting for his signal to proceed is very illegal.

Skywalker

A cop tells you to stop but you disobeyed the police officer. I don't think you need a degree in law enforcement to figure that one out. Pay the ticket and move on.

Paul

Once he tells you to stop, you STAY stopped until he says you can go.

Friendly Stranger..

This is an issue of safety. The cop told you to stop because anytime you are dealing with a school zone you must take extra precautions. Since there is a school on the right you need to use caution because it is a school zone. The officer wanted to make sure that everything was clear for them first. So in my mind, no matter what the cop said it was a legal left turn however again you need to pay attention to what is going on around you. The cop just wanted to make sure the others turning into the school did so safely. If it were illegal, then you would have been sited for turning but you weren't so it isn't an illegal left turn. It was just the cop looking out for the safety of other drivers in that particular school zone.

Your all morons

A police officer takes precedence over traffic lights, intersections, and you driving period. I would have given you a ticket for whats called blatantly disobeying a police officer at a school zone.

Aaron

it shouldn't be iegal to do that you are going to a apartment not off road

gingerisms100

If the cop sees nothing... then everything is legal

gorkbarque

You know it would be legal if (1) there is no sign saying 'No Left Turn' in the direction you are headed, and (2) if there is a double yellow center line on the roadway that is broken at the point of the entrance to the parking lots.

Of course, if the officer has singalled you to stop, you must stop until he motions you forward again. What you might do is when you get up to him is to roll down your window and ask him if it is ok to make a left turn into the apartments from where you are.

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