I left stop lights out the OP because I always stop completely at a red light, even for a free right on red.

What prompted my OP is recently, while riding on a road with a bike path, I followed what other riders seem to do on this stretch, which is to slow down briefly at stop signs and proceed through unless there is cross traffic. This road has all 3-way stops as it follows a lake shore. The riders I've observed would do this even when traffic is present, as long as it's moving in the same or opposite direction. I've been riding this road for months.

On this particular day, I did my usual, look behind, look left, look ahead, nothing coming, there is zero automobile traffic. I slow and move through a stop sign, riding in the bike path.

A rider, the only other person on the road at the time, coming in the opposite direction, goes off on me. Starts yelling all kinds of expletives, telling me I better stop at stop signs, what an ass I am etc. I told him to FO and mind his own business and went along my way,

It occurred to me later that just because I'm doing what everyone else is doing doesn't always make it right, hence my post.