Look both ways WHILE crossing!

[bass12]

I've been noticing more and more that people don't seem to look to the left and right while crossing the street. Worse than this is that an alarming number of people will be busy talking on the phone or texting while they cross, seemingly oblivious to the cars around them. Given how many drivers are equally blasé about their road habits, this apparent disregard for safety is astonishing to me. When I was growing up we were taught very early on to look both ways both before we crossed the street and WHILE we were crossing. It seems that a lot of people today simply figure that because cars should stop for pedestrians they will. Any thoughts on the matter?

[FilterFunk]

I've always thought that "right of way" means nothing when it's you vs. a motor vehicle. I appreciate it when people stop, but I never assume that they will. I always look both ways before AND while crossing.

[PSPookie]

This seems like the type of problem that will take care of itself, given time.

[blendermassacre]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

This seems like the type of problem that will take care of itself, given time.

Dar-WIN!

[Jefenator]

Someone got killed here recently, crossing the boulevard, talking on the cell phone.

All the traffic laws in the world won't keep you from getting squished like a bug if you don't pay the heck attention.

[sarcastro83]

Thing that kills me the most that I see every day? People who bike with their iPods on. Especially when they're wearing those huge, noise-cancelling headphones... just seems really, really stupid to me.

also

Originally Posted by PSPookie

This seems like the type of problem that will take care of itself, given time.

Originally Posted by blendermassacre

Dar-WIN!

this is both hillarious and totally sig-worthy!

[3506string]

The people at my school are horrible about this and walking in the street. It never fails to amaze me seeing some jack-off walking down the street like he's a 87' build lasabre.

I have noticed that young ladies are by far the worst offenders at not looking when crossing the street. I've seen chicks nearly get tagged walking full stride in front of a car in full motion not even about stop. A young girl did get hit in front of our student union I believe my Sophomore year. Guys i've seen are more likely to bolt out in front of cars and realize what they've done and try to rectify by walking faster or hopping out of the way.

What makes it worse is there are always people standing at the entrance and exits of the crosswalks. So you don't know if someone is waiting for you to stop are just standing their keeping the sidewalk in place.

People take way too much for granted like first off if the driver sees you, the driver isn't distracted, the driver assumes you are trying to cross the street, the driver isn't on a vendetta to kill everyone in their path

[Marlat]

I live on a one way street. Looking both ways makes me look crazy.

[Linas]

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

Thing that kills me the most that I see every day? People who bike with their iPods on. Especially when they're wearing those huge, noise-cancelling headphones... just seems really, really stupid to me.

+1 That is truly stupid behavior.

[bass12]

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

I live on a one way street. Looking both ways makes me look crazy.

The other night I was approaching an intersection when, suddenly, a car raced across that intersection on the street perpendicular to mine. the thing was, the street this guy was on turned one way on the other side of the intersection. So here he was careening down a one way street going the opposite direction. All I could think at the time was "thank god it's late and there's not much chance of anyone being in this guy's path".

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

This seems like the type of problem that will take care of itself, given time.

Absolutely. There'll be a few less idiots in the world.

[rr5025]

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

Thing that kills me the most that I see every day? People who bike with their iPods on. Especially when they're wearing those huge, noise-cancelling headphones... just seems really, really stupid to me.

I would wear my headphones when I would ride my bike. Mine are the tiny standard ones and I would only wear one and leave the other ear free.

[jp58]

Originally Posted by FilterFunk

I've always thought that "right of way" means nothing when it's you vs. a motor vehicle. I appreciate it when people stop, but I never assume that they will. I always look both ways before AND while crossing.

Car always beats person "right of way" or not. You can have had the RoW all you wanted, but it doesn't change the bodily injury inflicted to you.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by FilterFunk

I've always thought that "right of way" means nothing when it's you vs. a motor vehicle. I appreciate it when people stop, but I never assume that they will. I always look both ways before AND while crossing.

And the thread has been won with the first posting. Depend only on yourself when it concerns street safety, you'll be better of for it.

[Unrepresented]

The city of Berkeley gives pedestrians the right of way, and the pedestrians take it very seriously. Cars are expected to stop anytime a pedestrian enters a crosswalk. Scared the crap out of me on my last trip up there to watch pedestrians have the law at their back but clearly not the size advantage to back it up should a driver not see them with adequate time to safely stop.

I don't think I'd ever be able to casually walk out into a busy street with enough faith in my fellow motorists to presume they'll do the right thing.

[shadowtippy]

We have the idiots here that walk in the street, not crossing it, but in it. That annoys the heck out of me, especially when there is a sidewalk on either side of the street specificly made for pedestrian traffic. It should be legal (and encouraged) to run these people over with your car.

[blendermassacre]

Originally Posted by shadowtippy

We have the idiots here that walk in the street, not crossing it, but in it. That annoys the heck out of me, especially when there is a sidewalk on either side of the street specificly made for pedestrian traffic. It should be legal (and encouraged) to run these people over with your car.

ugh. kc too. The equation goes : the more ghetto the part of town = the more likely people are just in the street. Around my work, it's nuts.

[jp58]

Originally Posted by shadowtippy

We have the idiots here that walk in the street, not crossing it, but in it. That annoys the heck out of me, especially when there is a sidewalk on either side of the street specificly made for pedestrian traffic. It should be legal (and encouraged) to run these people over with your car.

Its the same way on any college campus in the country. If you have to be at work, you need to leave a half hour early to get off of campus.

I've seen several near misses where people are yapping away on a cell and just stroll right out in front of a moving vehicle. I don't care how bad your boyfriend messed up, that pick-up truck is going to do way worse to your body even at 15-20 mph.

[rarisgod]

In addition to this, why is it illegal for cyclists to use the sidewalk? Cyclists on the road are some of the most dangerous things I've encountered. It's dangerous for them, but also for those of us who have to avoid them.

[3506string]

Originally Posted by rarisgod

In addition to this, why is it illegal for cyclists to use the sidewalk? Cyclists on the road are some of the most dangerous things I've encountered. It's dangerous for them, but also for those of us who have to avoid them.

Absolutely, there is nothing like having to make a split second decision to either; cut someone off, slam on your brakes, merge into someone, or take out some poor sap on a 10 speed