The walk light is on you dumbass

[Mel]

bg: I walk to work everyday, and I have to cross a busy street to get to and from work. I always go at an intersection where there's a walk light to cross more safely, but I use the word "safely" loosely. People are often so much in a hurry to turn into the busy street that they inch over until their bumpers are nearly touching me so that they can zoom off as soon as I've finished crossing. So, everytime the walk light comes on and I start crossing, I always look back to make sure there aren't any cars coming toward me, and if there are, I stop and let them pass if they don't seem to be stopping, because, well, even though I have the right of way, I don't want to die!


I was walking home a few evenings ago after finishing at 5:00 pm. It's dark here at that time now thanks to the end of Daylight Saving Time. I was waiting at the light for the walk light to come on. The green light for those wanting to turn into the busy street from a side street comes on at the same time as the walk light, but obviously the walk light takes precedence, and there was a driver there waiting to turn left into the street (right across to where I'd be crossing).

So the green light comes on and I start to cross. The car wanting to turn left starts going. At first I thought he was going to just inch in like others do, but no HE KEEPS GOING! I actually had to step back so that he wouldn't plow into me! I look inside the car, and at this point I'm close enough to touch the car and it's really old guy driving! The intersection is well lit, but the guy didn't even seem to SEE me! He didn't even LOOK to where I was. I'm positive he didn't see me!

I got home and I was so angry. If you can't see well at night, STAY OFF THE GODDAMN ROAD!

[Shpepper]

If you can manage it, get a maglight flashlight. Turn it on when you are crossing the street. This will make you even more visible also, if cars get too close, you can smack them with the flashlight and not hurt your hand. I recommend a maglight because it is a very sturdy metal body flashlight that will last you a lifetime.

[Pixilated]

Definitely, the flashlight AND the smack. I was trying to cross a busy road one day and a car was cruising along in my direction. It was going very slowly, fortunately ... because the guy was gawking at a woman walking just a few feet in front of where I was trying to cross and was paying no attention whatever to what was actually in front of him (i.e. me, stepping into the road). When I realized he wasn't going to stop I stepped back and as he came parallel to me, I rapped the hood sharply. If he'd stood on the brakes any harder I think he'd have come through the car's roof. If you want to watch the show, then pull over until the main attraction's out of sight ... (Just for the record, the woman wasn't doing anything to catch his attention, nor was she dressed outlandishly.)

[bhskittykatt]

If you don't have a maglight, light from a cellphone can also work. Our bus driver taught us the "cell phone wave" for early, dark mornings to make sure he could see us at the bus stop.

I regularly walk to work. I pretty much expect someone who is turning to try and run be down when I'm crossing the busy street. The closest I came, the guy was just hauling ass, sailed out into the intersection (after I was already across), saw me, started swerving and fishtailing (but NOT braking), and ended up turning into the oncoming traffic lanes to dodge me (fortunately no traffic was in those lanes). I couldn't jump out of the way, since he was swerving left and right and I didn't know which way he was going to end up going. That would have been an ambulance ride if he actually had hit me going at that speed!

[Buglady]

at this point I'm close enough to touch the car and it's really old guy driving! The intersection is well lit, but the guy didn't even seem to SEE me! He didn't even LOOK to where I was. I'm positive he didn't see me

I used to have to cross a similar intersection to get from my work to a convenience store to get snacks or coffee. More than once I wanted to chuck my coffee at drivers who'd cut too close. (I really should have done it). And I HAVE thumped my hand on the side panel of a car that was creeping and creeping through a right turn when I had the pedestrian light. Then I gave the very shocked driver a death glare.

[Buglady]

By the way, this sort of thing is why I refuse to wear a black winter coat - but have you noticed how difficult it is to find something warm that is NOT a dark colour? It's stupid! I end up wearing my reflective cycling jacket even when I am not riding, just because it gives me the best chance of living though another winter of 8 hours of daylight...

[notlovinit]

This is a little offtopic, but it reminded me of a dumb pedestrian story. One time, I was driving to work and at this busy intersection right next to my work I see this guy walking AGAINST the light, being a dumbass. He wasn't on my side of the road and it didn't effect me, but I was still thinking how dumb he was and how little people care. Anyway, I get to work, clock in and start taking people's orders. He comes in a little bit after that and has the nerve to complain about "how bad that intersection is", "how they don't care about pedestrians there" and how he "almost got hit" and was "honked at". No shit.

[Dreamstalker]

I have a reversible 'police' raincoat (black to safety orange with stripes). No hood, but thick enough that I can wear it over one of my normal heavy hoodies. There's no excuse on the planet for not seeing it; now that it's dark early it's even more obvious.

An added bonus is that if I'm coming home at rush hour when there is already an officer at the intersection, drivers actually seem careful if they see me (if I recognize the officer and stop to say hi, they get even more wary; even my school bag looks official so they probably can't tell I'm not a real cop).

[Dasota]

The other day my roommate and I were going to the Aldi's that's nearby and the corner of my street is horrible about people needing to walk and cars thinking they can squeak by before/after you walk.

I had taken a box (a sturdy banana box) with me to save money on not buying a bag, and a truck almost ran my roommate and I over! I hit the car as hard as I could with the box without having to reach and hit the car

[Evandril]

Reflective belts are cheap and tend to make you fairly easy to see at night, though I'd second the maglight suggestion as well...They have the added benifit of being a 'legal' billy club!

[Mel]

I think I will consider getting a maglight.

It must be frustrating for drivers too when they can't see a pedestrian, but the intersection I was waiting at was lit, there are a few shops nearby and street lights.

Some drivers don't realise that they're in a big, fast chunk of metal, and pedestrians are made of easily squish-able parts. It doesn't take a genius to know that they have to be careful.

[PepperElf]

I had that happen to me ... kinda... when I was downtown one night.


My BF and I were waiting to cross the road and had just gotten the walk light at the same time the lane next to us got the left hand turn arrow light... and apparently they didn't notice us or decided their turn light trumped our walk light.


The cops behind them chirped their sirens as a warning...

I've seen that a few times around here... where the cops flash their sirens at you if you're close to breaking traffic laws, but don't actually pull you over... assuming you correct yourself immediately. so likewise the driver didn't get pulled over because they stopped long enough to let us walk across.

[ThirdGenRetail]

Instead of a Maglight, how about a glowstick? I have one of these myself - They come in red, blue, and green... Or at least, that's all I've seen in stock. It has three settings - Flashlight, glow stick, and blinking glow stick.

Even in daylight, though, I still get those people when I'm trying to cross. And what's worse is it's the right turn lane... So I KNOW they see me! The pedestrian has the right of way on a cross walk, I shouldn't have to wait to cross because six people are turning right and NOT bothering to stop!