Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I see this often and consider it a sign of arrogance.
I agree and it is one of the reasons I got out of the city. I encountered this often enough I'd often SPEED UP and bear down on the horn as if to say "no, you can wait 3 seconds until I'm gone." To me, traffic laws notwithstanding, they're no more important than anybody else, especially hoards of cars full of people trying to get to work on time, and they should be made to wait their turn.
When I was a pedestrian that's what I did, even at crosswalks. I WAITED a minute or two for traffic to thin out and then I'd quickly zip across. I considered it my responsibility to do one thing, stay out of the freaking way. I would remember how I wanted it to be when I was the one in the car, it's bad enough having to stop every 0.3 miles for the 9762 stop lights they have, many of them turning red at the absolute last split second, after awhile cars need to stop being pestered and be allowed to MOVE.
So yes, if I was at a non crosswalk area in the car and saw somebody start stepping out even when I was close, I'd bear down on the horn and not only not slow down I'd sometimes even speed up (and move from the right lane to the left so as to give them extra space). Yes it would make them mad, to which I'd say "good, you're no more important than I am." I knew it was going to catch up with me eventually, so I quit while I was ahead and got out.
after I got married I moved to a large city, and it was an almost daily occurrence where people would get off the bus and run through the intersection, or mindlessly wander into the road without giving a second though to traffic. I've even witnessed it where a lady was with 4-6 kids at a cross walk, and once they got the signal they ran through the intersection in about eight different directions, half of those kids could have very easily been killed in that very instance. I gets worse in the winter time, pedestrians feel that it's more logical to walk on the street, in the middle of the lane, in the dark, wearing dark clothing rather than walk in a little snow on the sidewalk.
It's especially bad in the homeless areas near downtown where you have people burned out wandering in and out of traffic.
Just part of the new "America". Pedestrians have the right of way. All cars should stop as soon as a foot leaves a curb or sidewalk.
How much sense does that make...... a person vs an automobile... duh! Guess who loses every time in that encounter. I would much rather resort to the good old days of "look both ways before stepping off a curb".
Safety first if I'm walking.
Exactly. I see it all the time in parking lots. Yes , pedestrians do have the right of way but that doesn't always mean the person in the car see's them. Just more stupidity from the entitled crowd. When I'm on foot or my bicycle, I always try and make contact with the driver before crossing ... just because their is a law in my favor doesn't mean it can negate the laws of physics.
"pedestrians have the right of way" does not mean cross a busy road outside of a crosswalk without looking or at a crosswalk that clearly has the don't walk illuminated.
I have seen this in Cities all over. It is just one added thing you need to be aware of and watch for, especially when driving in a city. If you see pedestrians, assume they are going to wander out in front of you at any minute. If you hit them, you are probably going to be liable no matter what.
While it is common in all cities. it is more common in college towns. I have never seen anywhere as bad as Ann arbor Michigan where students aimlessly wander out into the streets in the hundreds without looking at all. when classes let out, you either have to just sit and wait for ten minutes for them to clear out, or thread your way through the endless sea of pedestrians who have wandered into the street with no idea where they are or what is going on around them. I expect this may be common in other university towns, but I have not seen it in any I have been in to the degree that Ann Arbor exhibits.
"pedestrians have the right of way" does not mean cross a busy road outside of a crosswalk without looking or at a crosswalk that clearly has the don't walk illuminated.
This is quite true. I am in a position to know. Actually, it is quite rare for a pedestrian where I live who is injured in an accident to prevail in claim/lawsuit when they are (1) an adult and (2) outside a crosswalk. I can come up with some exceptions. One would be where the driver of the car was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. Another might be if the pedestrian had some very unusual reason why he was out in the street. For example, if he was there because his car had been in an accident or if he was trying to rescue someone else caught in the middle of the road.
I've found where I live that unless you have a very unique circumstance, the pedestrian in that situation is unlikely to even collect an amount equal to his medical bills.
This is quite true. I am in a position to know. Actually, it is quite rare for a pedestrian where I live who is injured in an accident to prevail in claim/lawsuit when they are (1) an adult and (2) outside a crosswalk. I can come up with some exceptions. One would be where the driver of the car was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. Another might be if the pedestrian had some very unusual reason why he was out in the street. For example, if he was there because his car had been in an accident or if he was trying to rescue someone else caught in the middle of the road.
I've found where I live that unless you have a very unique circumstance, the pedestrian in that situation is unlikely to even collect an amount equal to his medical bills.
Although I rarely drive in the city anymore the pedestrians there scare me so much that I would consider getting a dash cam like the Russians do just to show I wasn't at fault when someone runs into the middle of the road without looking.
I have literally seen deer in the city cross the road with more caution then most pedestrians.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
