Crosswalk Culture

[emily_in_nc]

Yes. Happened to me just this week. I have to cross a major multi-lane road to get to the bus stop in the morning. Yesterday morning I started crossing when the lights were all red, and an older woman had to come to a screeching halt as she was flying and about to run the red. I was not in the lane she was in, but I was one over, and it did freak me out. I gave her a "WTF" look and gesture as I walked in front of her after she'd stopped with a loud SCREECH.

Had another experience recently in a mid-block pedestrian crosswalk where a young gal texting didn't see me at all and just blew right through it. I was walking my bike across. If I'd stepped out in front of her as would have been my right, I wouldn't be here now. She never saw me even after the fact. And of course texting while driving is illegal.

Sigh....

[marni]

I lost a year at college because I was crossing a four lane highway (2 in each direction) in a cross walk with the light in my favor, I was in front of a car traveling north, stopped in the left turn lane and just as I stepped into the empty straight thru lane, a car failed to stop. The driver of the car that hit me didn't realize he had hit me until my hand came thru the front window. I was thrown about 40 ', ended up with a major concussion, complications from same, and two shattered knees.

I am fortunate that they were able to rebuild almost everything except for the outside ACL on one leg and the interior ACL on the other. My right knee has little or no cartilage with floating bits that jam it up on occassion, but I have spent over 40 years training the muscles all around both knees that now it only bothers me if I get really leg weary from standing around for hours or twist it suddenly.

I swear you take your life in your hands any time you walk .

Around here, I don't even start out from a red light briskly for fear of someone unning it from the other direction. It's such a conditioned reflex that it generally slows down every light .

[HappyTexasMom]

Around here, I don't even start out from a red light briskly for fear of someone unning it from the other direction. It's such a conditioned reflex that it generally slows down every light .

How awful! I have a similar reflex, biking, walking, or driving, and always have. I've never been in an accident related to someone running a red light, so I'm not sure why, but it has saved me a few times. Right now I'm teaching my 8 and 10 year old boys how to ride in traffic, and it's really tough to get the point across about the difference between what right-of-way is, and what the rules are, and the fact that at any given time, someone else may not follow that rule.

P.S. I love your signature!

[marni]

P.S. I love your signature!

Thank you, there aren't many who recognize it.

marni

[Geonz]

I think it is time somebody designed an ink squirter... just to make a mark. Helmet cameras also have interesting potential... (and I also check for the red light runners and the greenlight anticipaters.)

[tulip]

When I first moved to DC from Paris, I was amazed at how the pedestrians actually DO wait for the walk signal. I figured that DC is a city filled with people who respect, or at least acknowledge, authority, so they wait for the walk signal. Drove me nuts! In Paris, the pedestrians just go.

Drivers, however, are a different story. I dreaded crossing the street in DC as a pedestrian (even when waiting for the walk signal along with everyone else).

[Owlie]

Where I lived last year, if you jaywalked you were liable to get squashed, unless it was late. If it was late, you were liable to get a ticket. Yes, this police department had that little to do.

HappyTexasMom, I have the same sort of reflex. Lots of people here have no clue what that octagonal red sign means.

Anyway, I bring this thread up again because I walked over to Starbucks for a change. There are five road crossings between my house and Starbucks...and three of them are across the same road. These weren't the problem. I had to cross at a very busy intersection with a marked crosswalk and lights and everything. I had my eye on an SUV-load of teenage boys, and it was lucky that I did, because they showed absolutely no interest in letting me cross even though pedestrians have the right of way. They turned right in front of me. Apparently the driver missed that part of driver's ed. Of course, I'm starting to think that a lot of drivers here in Suburbia have no clue how to deal with pedestrians simply because they never see them.