Oi! You don't have right-of-way!

Kogarashi · #1 01-30-2009, 01:51 AM

Baby and I had to run out to do shopping errands today (picking up more bread and milk, since we were almost out, and trying to find some craft supplies to finish some fans I'm painting for a friend).

Twice on the way home, I saw pedestrians cross the street against traffic, without really paying attention to the lights.

The first was a set of three high school kids, who were apparently joking and laughing together so much they weren't paying attention to the traffic signals. Like most intersections in this city, the pedestrian crossing signals get their own place in the light queue, such that all vehicles have a red light so the pedestrians can cross any direction they please. These three kids were just meandering down the sidewalk, stopping here and there as they pleased, while the pedestrian signal was lit. Then, just as it stops blinking and the cross street gets its green light, the kids step out into the crosswalk. And then stop when they realize the cross street has a green light, meaning they're standing in front of cars that have the right of way. Apparently the car in the lead motioned for them to go ahead, because they (to their credit) crossed as quickly as they could manage.

Four blocks later, I'm waiting at the red light while the cross street has a green. An older man approached in line with the cross street, but was too far away when the light turned yellow. He glanced up just as it turned red, then stepped out to cross the now-green street (mine) anyway. Then, like the teens, he stopped in the middle of the lane when he realized he shouldn't be in the street, smiled sheepishly at the car waiting to go, and jogged across.

To top off the sundae, I pulled onto the street before mine and moved to the left-turn lane, from which I would turn onto my street. The street already had a red light. There was a car sitting just ahead of the stop line of the left-turn lane, just sitting there under the red light. As I pull up to the stop line, it suddenly pulls out and turns left, running the red light, just as the cross street got its green, meaning it held up more traffic.

What is it with people in this city today?

Cats · #2 01-30-2009, 03:05 AM

I see this downtown in my city ALL the time. People just cross whenever they want, and never get hit.

Meanwhile, pepole like me who actually USE the crosswalks have the most trouble. One the ones where there is no light signal but have the stripes (meaning if a pedestrian is in view, drivers MUST stop to let them cross), it takes so long to wait for a car to stop its actually faster to wait until there's a long enough break in the flow of traffic to make a run for it (often 15+ min).

In a crosswalk where we have the walk signals, I've actually been hit (sort of, they smaked my purse, but I was unharmed; but the driver had the nerve to flip me off too) in the middle of the crosswalk while I have the signal. When the walk signal turns on, not only is ALL traffic stopped (including the usually legal right turn on red), but in that section of town, a BELL also sounds. It's pretty bad when pedestrians in the crosswalk nearly get hit by people not stopping in time, even though the lights are obviously red and no other traffic is moving.

So while it still pisses me off, in this town anyway, I can't blame pedestrians for walking into the street instead of using the crosswalks...cause apparently, you're not any safer by using them!

blas · #3 01-30-2009, 03:24 AM

We had a slight snowfall last night of about an inch. But it was enough to make the roads really slick. Lots of accidents and whatnot.

I was taking the old highway home to avoid the logjam that the accidents had created on the freeway, and as I was about to go through a green light past Wal-Mart, some random total idiot with a death wish raced across the icy 4 lane highway on foot.

I mean, I feel bad for people who have to walk everywhere....but on a 4 lane highway with a speed limit of 50 mph, it is NOT smart to ever dart across it when there is traffic coming!

And that idiot is also lucky he didn't fall and crack his head open. Running on ice is just as smart as shoving a fork in the toaster.

SteverinoNY · #4 01-30-2009, 04:01 AM

New York City is the king city of the drivers who don't respect the crosswalks. I have nearly been run over by cabbies twice when I have had the right of way (and that was with cops near the people running the lights). That being said, I have seen many pedestrians almost go splat. So its not all the drivers, but you really take your life into your hands crossing the street in New York City. On top of it being dangerous to cross the street, I wish New York would clear the storm drains so the cutouts in the sidewalks would drain so you wouldn't get a boot full of water every time you step down off the sidewalk.

Btw, Blas your quote about the fork and the toaster is epic win! May I swipe for my siggy?

Yurimaru · #5 01-30-2009, 02:15 PM

That reminds me... the Metro always stops at the corner, right at the light, and disgorges about 20 passengers on the way home. Our lane is waiting for a green light to turn right onto the main street, and traffic on the main street usually has the green. So, what do they do? They just run everywhichway. All in front of the traffic with the right of way, and in front of the traffic that is waiting, only there they like to weave in and out of the cars instead of using the crosswalks. They get right about in the center of each of the streets before they slow down and shuffle across. Extra points if the light changes and they can hold up traffic both ways.

blas · #6 01-30-2009, 06:24 PM

Me? Epic win? You make me blush. I'd be honored!

SteverinoNY · #7 01-30-2009, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Quoth blas87

Me? Epic win? You make me blush. I'd be honored!

You don't have any reason to blush. Your verbal descriptions of the rejects at life you work with and live near are pure gold. I wish I could be 1/2 as creative with my language. The only thing I can do with my language is curse and as we all know most people who curse and do no more are about as intelligent as a brick. I am not the most linguistically talented person in the world.

And, back on topic, I almost got struck by a taxi cab today when I was moving, but this time it was actually my fault. I would not be surprised if there is a post about me being an idiot haha.

blas · #8 01-31-2009, 01:58 AM

You simply haven't been here long enough. I have one of the worst potty mouths (or rather, hands) on this site. I do try to keep it down, though. Nowhere near as bad as I am in real life.

I don't know who came up with dry pool team member, but THAT is pure genius. A lot of my nicknames for coworkers and my little "blasphemisums" come from coworkers or things that have taken a while to put together.

Irving Patrick Freleigh · #9 01-31-2009, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Quoth blas87

I don't know who came up with dry pool team member, but THAT is pure genius.

If it wasn't me, I think I at least use that one the most often.

MrSmiley · #10 01-31-2009, 08:18 AM

A long long time ago when I was getting my driver's license I remember the fun tidbits with scoring. Obviously if you hit a pedestrian you were going to fail (and have all kinds of additional trouble besides)... but every time you slowed down for one of them, even when they didn't have the right of way, you lost 2 points... 10 (or maybe it was 15?) total and you wouldn't be getting a license.