Crossing the street, do you dare?

**shoiji** · 10-09-2010, 07:14 PM

So today I yelled at a van that was making a right hand turn. The guy sees me and waves me on while the van is still MOVING! So I stopped walking and started yelling at them pointing at the light showing I was supposed to walk and the cars were supposed to stop. Another time I was almost hit because a guy was making a left hand turn with out even putting on the brake. He was TEXTING and when he saw me he shrugged his shoulders. In this state people are supposed to stop their car when a pedestrian has the right of way. Apparently me getting hit by his car was not a big deal to him.

I realize that since I am a walker I am more sensitive to the fact that I can get run over at anytime. Please don't text while driving. I will get off my soap box now. So anyone else notice that the streets are just getting more dangerous for pedestrians?

**Momto5RN** · 10-09-2010, 07:26 PM

i am very nervous when i use crosswalks i assume everyone driving is an idiot anyway even when driving.

as a driver
my pet peeve is pedestrians that think that the law to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk over rides the hand that tells them they cant walk - the stop for pedestrian in a crosswalk is for when they are allowed to cross OR there is no light to tell them when to cross or not.
- it doesnt override the do not walk light.

that and the ones that walk behind their parked car go into the street to run into the middle a crosswalk so they can cross- they just jaywalked halfway there .

we have a strip of area with stores etc that i have no problem whatsoever stopping for people in a crosswalk as is the law but there are so many jaywalkers it could take you a half hour to go down 3 blocks with just 3 crosswalks in it .

**melodys** · 10-09-2010, 10:23 PM

Sorry you had a bad experience, that is scary.

One of the interesting things that I discovered when I moved from California (where the car is king) to Washington is the pedestrians are always given the right of way, but that pedestrians can and do get ticketed for jaywalking so mostly folks stay in the crosswalks. I think the pacific northwest is great for that, and my guess is that it arose becase the person on foot is often in the rain while the person in the car is warm and dry. We may be soggy, but at least we are civilized about not running people over.

**frugalfranny** · 10-10-2010, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by shoiji

So anyone else notice that the streets are just getting more dangerous for pedestrians?

This city (or surrounding area) manages to hit about one pedestrian a WEEK! They put out 'emphasis patrols' and have a cop walk across the street........ticket those that don't stop.........doesn't help much!!

Downtown is HORRIBLE............and have had numerous hit and runs.

A good story..........one guy saw a guy leave after hitting a person on a bike.........followed him........used his cell to call cops and maintain contact with cops......and cops got him!

**Rhayne** · 10-11-2010, 09:21 AM

It's like my boyfriend has been saying lately "All you have to do is go out your front door to find an idiot." Whenever (safely possible) I walk as slowly as humanly possible in front of people who seems to be in a big hurry. This usually is in parking lots where people are suppose to be driving slow anyhow. I once was crossing the area in front of a strip mall (where the fire lane is) where a car was parked dropping someone off at the door to one store. I was walking about 6 feet in front of the guys car, he nodded to me as if to say I see you and I'm waiting for you to get past me. Then he moved up about 2 feet so i slowed down. He moved again and i stopped and put my hands up and asked what his problem was. All he did was yell for me to move. I got into the store and he left. When I came out he was back picking someone up. I said something to the effect of "theres the guy who doesn't know how to drive" and he continued to yell foul words at me all the way across the parking lot til i got in my car.

**stinkbug** · 10-11-2010, 09:56 AM

We just had a pedestrian killed yesterday :-( And last fall we had a couple killed in a crosswalk walking home from church!

**Russ** · 10-11-2010, 10:02 AM

Oddly enough, the accident rate has not gone down in states where texting has been banned.

Texting ban has not lowered US accident rate - World News, 51799

**2ndGenGranola** · 10-11-2010, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Russ

Oddly enough, the accident rate has not gone down in states where texting has been banned.

Well, my city has a hand free only law. I think my hubby and myself are the only ones who use them. Every time I see someone driving whacky I look in to see a phone up to their ear. I was nearly hit last week by someone who made a wide turn while talking and ended up in the opposite lane.

**McD** · 10-11-2010, 10:55 AM

A University of Utah study found hands-free cell phones while driving to be just as distracting as holding a phone to your ear.

Driving while using 'hands-free' cell phone still dangerous: study

Here's what I think--I think walking and driving has become more dangerous. But I think it's because of a lack of common sense. Me yapping on my cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as the person who drives with their little yippy dog on their lap. People are always rushing from one place to the other and trying to over-schedule their time and it ends up being a free for all on the roads.

Interestingly enough here, we have a fairly big problem with the local Dart Bus running over pedestrians.

**Dancing Lotus** · 10-11-2010, 10:57 AM

I'm nervous about crossing streets. Technically my kids are suppose to walk to school but I don't' like the street they have to cross so I don't let them. I don't' care if there is a crossing guard, I see how little respect people give them.

**mndtrp** · 10-11-2010, 08:49 PM

As a motorcycle rider, I always assume no one sees me when I'm on the street. It doesn't matter if I'm on my bike, a pedestrian, or in my car.

**zakity** · 10-11-2010, 11:09 PM

I almost got ran over by a bicyclist when I was in a cross walk when I had the walk sign and he had a red light.

**imagine** · 10-12-2010, 10:25 AM

I guess I will consider myself lucky then.

I feel safe crossing the streets. We have lots of walkers in our town and so many people crossing the streets.

Haven't heard about a person being hit by a car while walking. I do remember a girl being hit by car while on a bike.

Here the children are taught at school to make eye contact with the driver of a car before crossing the street. If the driver did not acknowledge you then you don't cross. There is lot of waving people across and head nodding.

When I have a light to cross the people turning also have a green light so they know to look for me and I know to look for them. Eye contact again.

So yes I'll cross the street and now I'll feel lucky that I live in a place that I feel safe to do so.

**frugal is fun** · 10-12-2010, 12:32 PM

A similar thing happened when I was camping this summer in the campground.

My son and I had just taken off on our bikes, like 2-3 pedals into it and a car is coming. My son, who is 5 and a little shaking on his bike got nervous and just fell over. He was on the side of the road. So the car keeps coming. I put my hand up to stop the car, yet its still coming. Now I am standing in the middle of the road, yelling like a crazy person to stop. The guy rolls down his window and tells me that he stopped in plenty of time AS HE IS ROLLING PAST ME. His wife is saying the same thing and that I was over reacting. I literally yell in his face that rolling is NOT stopped!!!

**NikoSan999** · 10-12-2010, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by frugal is fun

A similar thing happened when I was camping this summer in the campground.

My son and I had just taken off on our bikes, like 2-3 pedals into it and a car is coming. My son, who is 5 and a little shaking on his bike got nervous and just fell over. He was on the side of the road. So the car keeps coming. I put my hand up to stop the car, yet its still coming. Now I am standing in the middle of the road, yelling like a crazy person to stop. The guy rolls down his window and tells me that he stopped in plenty of time AS HE IS ROLLING PAST ME. His wife is saying the same thing and that I was over reacting. I literally yell in his face that rolling is NOT stopped!!!

You can't fix stupid...you just hope it dosen't breed