The way they described the stop sign isn't how stop signs are meant to work

You know OP’s behavior is allowed in many areas, right? Don’t assume your local laws are universal.

I often ride my bicycle on the sidewalk around here, but I do so carefully and always give priority to pedestrians (of which there are few where I am to begin with, but I'll get off the sidewalk for them). Legality be damned; this is the only way to not be flatted by some asshat in an SUV in some places. For instance, overpasses here have no shoulder at all but sometimes there is a sidewalk, and if you're lucky there may even be a guard rail separating it from the car lanes where everyone is doing 60+ in a 35 zone with impunity.

I drive on the sidewalk and behave like a pedestrian. I probably should have known about the traffic codes you are talking about, but this has nothing to do with bikes, he shows it to everybody including other people who are trying to cross. What concerns me them most, is that those traffic guards, break the habit of actually seeing if there are cars around, meaning I am actually less safe when they aren't there.