Attention Pedestrians!

[Merriweather]

I can see where tourists wouldn't always realize they don't have the right of way. In a lot of states, anywhere that two streets cross at approximate right angles is considered an implied crosswalk, and pedestrians have the right of way.

That said, I have common sense (and a sense of self preservation) so I never take that law for granted even if I know it's the law there - I normally wait at the curb, even in a marked crosswalk, til I'm sure traffic is going to stop. I've no desire to have "but she had the right of way" engraved on my tombstone.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've no desire to have "but she had the right of way" engraved on my tombstone.

Along with "And she was right... dead right" underneath? XD My dad always said that it's better to relinquish your right of way rather than to relinquish your life.

[kpzra]

I just with people realize the the triple trailers of hay bales do NOT stop quickly.

[Lyse]

I don't mind the ones that cross at an unmarked intersection - I'm watching for them. It's the idiots that step out from between parked cars twenty feet away from the *marked* intersection that I want to strangle.

[rose_metal_nz]

OK, you know those types of traffic-light intersections, where they're kinda 'pedestrian controlled' ? The light phases change depending on whether someone hits the crosswalk button? Well, I live in the CBD, so they're everywhere around me
Late last week (I've been dying to share this) me & a bunch of people RIGHTLY crossed at the lights with the crosswalk light going - and some dickhead in a big 4WD tried to mow us all down. Of all the people crossing, he chose me to wind down his window & mouth off at seeing as I had my headphones on, I'm not sure what he said All I did was look confusedly at him, then pointedly back up at the RED GLARING LIGHT FOR HIS LANE then back at him. And carry on walking.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Round my way, there's a few tossers who beep their horns at pedestrian crossings. I tend to walk even slower when someone does that.

[Andara Bledin]

I will not walk slower, but I may stop and give them a look. There's also a good chance I'll glower at them the entire time I'm in their way.

^-.-^

[Flying Grype]

Those jaywalkers need to learn that the reason it's called a CROSSwalk is that it's what you're supposed to use when Church lets out.

On one of the major streets around here, there's a suburban-area church/temple that's right in the middle of a big block. Across the street from the place of worship is a big parking lot. I don't think it was meant for congregational overflow, but that's what it gets used for on certain days because the parking lot attached to the church is pretty small. There's a fairly long walk to an actual streetlight, and four lanes of traffic between the parking lot and the building.

I've seen traffic cops directing hordes of people across that street. Whether or not there's a crosswalk people will cross there, so when it's a feast day or whatever, the cops will actually turn out and direct traffic to make sure these folks get across the road safely.

It might be less expensive for the city to just put a streetlight there, I dunno.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Well, I'm from Boston, and those of us who grew up in or constantly visiting said city grow up being the Masters of Crossing Against the Light.

Which means that we make it from Start to Finish without causing any cars to have to hit their brakes or honk. I scared the crap out of a bunch of my friends in NYC when I eyeballed the two lane traffic and then safely made it to the other sidewalk while they all stared at me from across the street in disbelief. It was pretty funny.

Never have I caused (at my fault) a car to not be able to go, haha. There have been times where people nearly mow me down because they feel they need to stop ON the crosswalk, and not AT THE DAMN STOP LINE.

[wolfie]

I've seen traffic cops directing hordes of people across that street. Whether or not there's a crosswalk people will cross there, so when it's a feast day or whatever, the cops will actually turn out and direct traffic to make sure these folks get across the road safely.

It might be less expensive for the city to just put a streetlight there, I dunno.

Wouldn't it be more profitable for the city to have the cops writing tickets for all the jaywalkers rather than helping them cross illegally?

[dalesys]

Wouldn't it be more profitable for the city to have the cops writing tickets for all the jaywalkers rather than helping them cross illegally?

I have been tempted, Lo, these many years, to sneak downtown in my fair city at the beginnings of April and October with spray paint and stencils to mark the curbs of certain blocks:

Meet your ancestors! Jaywalk!

[eltf177]

All this reminds me of a potential Darwin Award winner a few years ago.

I was at a red light at a fairly major intersection. The EW road was a four-lane divided while the NS road was a two-lane non-divided. I'm coming N planning on turning right (no turn on red) and the EW road has a full green.

Heading S on the W side is a female jogger wearing headphones. She gets to the intersection but instead of stopping runs directly into traffic! WB traffic sees her and has to slow. They blow their horns but all our oblivious jogger does is throw up her hands, she never slows at all.

She gets to the center divider. There I _assume_ she'll stop and wait for a green. Well, being where we are you know _that_ didn't happen! SHE KEEPS RIGHT ON RUNNING AGAINST THE LIGHT! There's a good sized panel truck in the left lane, he slams on his brakes but still almost hits the idiot! But he's blocking the view and a beautifully restored sports car in the right lane couldn't see her until she's right in front of him. I could see the driver practically _standing_ on the brake petal and he stopped with I swear less than 3-inches (7.5cm) of space! You could smell brakes and rubber and I figured he'd just left about $100 US of both on the road. Oblivous jogger just keeps going, and the sports car driver (huge and obviously _very_ angry) turns the corner and heads after her.

I know exactly what's going to happen, oblivous jogger is going to get a verbal beatdown and probably a physical one if she mouths off. But I figure anything she gets is less than she deserves and when I got my light I left. Never heard anything so I guess it was just a verbal smackdown.

[PepperElf]

In North America, the use of the term "Church" (as opposed to some other term) to refer to a house of worship implies that it belongs to a certain family of religions (one of the 3 Mosaic families). Those jaywalkers need to learn that the reason it's called a CROSSwalk is that it's what you're supposed to use when Church lets out.

well played.


and i mentioned him in my "little league mom" thread but one biker sure had a deathwish the other day.

granted the park itself has a sucky setup. the skate park portion is right at the entrance, and their parking lot looks a little like this ......:::::..... They pretty much put enough room for one row of cars, directly next to the road, at a section where kids are running around on skate boards.

You have to be extra careful there because the people parked there don't always pay attention to the traffic, when they're trying to leave. And on top of that the kids/teens coming & going don't always look either.

The last time some kid was doing bike tricks, circling out into the road from behind parked cars... right in front of us. Even though we were barely going 25mph, my bf still had to slam his brakes on cos the teen came from behind parked SUVs & minivans.

[Zenova]

Back in December 2004 I hit someone that walked straight out from between parked cars. They weren't seriously hurt, broken ankle and a few bruises, and the police sent me a letter saying there would be no action against me, but it was a pretty nerve wracking few weeks while they investigated it.
I got a letter a few weeks after the police letter from my insurance company saying the person was looking compensation because pedestrians on the road have right of way.
Thankfully it didnt even make it to court :-/
Idiots.

[Aria]

I remember one time when my family and I went to Vancouver. We went to a restaurant with my sister and were heading back to the hotel when traffic got pretty heavy. It wasn't gridlock, things were moving, but it was slow. Which was all that saved the idiot who darted in between traffic right in front of us. I happened to be looking in EXACTLY the right direction to see him a fraction of a second before he got in front of us and I yelled "DAD STOP!" That was all that saved his life as dad slammed the breaks.

The unfortunate part was that mom went off on dad about how he should have been looking. I told her, "Mom! It's not his fault. I just happened to be looking in that direction. If he'd hit the guy it would have been a clean kill." She still wasn't happy but at least stopped ragging on dad about it.