The Wrong Way To Handle Right of Way

OK, what is about this intersection that makes people throw away the traffic laws in favor of a totally undesired grant of right of way. I participated in two of these horrible incidents in two days.

The first time, I was a pedestrian and although I was totally and unambiguously clear of a certain car on 12th, the driver decided to stop. There was a car on Mercer at the stop sign. Well the car that had stopped on 12th for no apparent reason refused to go until the car at the stop sign crossed 12th. Why? The right of way laws are clear, are they not?

Then the next day at the same intersection, I was on westbound Mercer at the stop sign wanting to turn left. There was a car in front of me also westbound. That car went through after stopping. There was a also an eastbound car at the stop sign who wanted to go straight. He had the right of way--but he wouldn't go until I went and a huge gap in the traffic was lost because this moron wouldn't go straight and get the hell out of the way so I could turn left. Now I'll agree that if the intersection were a 4-way stop sign intersection, that driver would have been right because right of way rotates around to the right. But at stop signs where only one street has stop signs, the guy going straight has the right of way, does he not?

I DO NOT WANT people to try to grant me the right of way. I want the clear and unambiguous right of way rules to control who has the right of way. Period. The "politeness" of such people who do this is not appreciated by any sane driver.