I believe the earth passed through the trail of a comet and everyone forgot how to cross the street safely.

[unsinkable]

:svengo:

 

This happens AT LEAST twice a week, for a couple years now. I am driving north. I am stopped at a red light. Pedestrians stand on the corner to my right, facing west. They HAVE A GREEN LIGHT. They are standing on the corner, looking at MY RED LIGHT.

 

They wait. Wait. Look at my red light. Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait.

 

My light turns green, clearing me to proceed, to head to the true north, strong and free.

 

The pedestrians STEP OFF THE CURB and start crossing the street, walking west, AGAINST their light, right in front of me. They are looking at the WRONG LIGHT!

 

What the blankety-blank is WRONG with people? It is all ages, all genders, all races, single people, groups of people...every combination of humanity possible, has done this to me in the last couple years.

 

I don't trust pedestrians as far as I can throw them.

[Seasider]

Wow. My list of what to blame on comet dust today is a lot longer.

[unsinkable]

Wow. My list of what to blame on comet dust today is a lot longer.

I'm just sayin'.

 

Why else could so. many. people. NOT know how to cross a street?

[*Lulu*]

I'm just sayin'.

 

Why else could so. many. people. NOT know how to cross a street?

Would that explain lack of turn signal usage?

[wintermom]

Why are they looking at the traffic lights? Don't you have pedestrian signs indicating when they should walk or wait?  At a lot of our intersections there are also auditory beeps indicating when pedestrians should walk.  Sounds like people need more assistance in your area. ;)

[zoobie]

There's a highly ranked, private university near me (Emory). They need to require Street Crossing 101 for all incoming students. I used to drive through there 2x a day taking DS to preschool. I have rolled down my window and yelled at girls crossing against a turn arrow that their parents are not paying private university tuition for them to play Frogger.

 

Little white dude walking = walk

Big red hand = stop

It's really not that difficult.

[gardenmom5]

well - if it's a comet playing havoc with people's senses, maybe it would explain the MANY MANY drivers who stopped in the middle of the road to look at the wildlife . . . . blocking everyone behind them. (in both directions) for miles.  for over 45minutes before I got through it. 

 

(when I was close enough to see, the bison were *on the side the road, far enough away for cars to safely pass* if they wished.)

 

 

 

rant off. . . . .

[gardenmom5]

 

 

Little white dude walking = walk

Big red hand = stop

It's really not that difficult.

 

apparently it is.

[zoobie]

apparently it is.

How did these fools get into Emory?!?! Lol. Maybe street crossing should be Common Core. ;)

[trulycrabby]

well - if it's a comet playing havoc with people's senses, maybe it would explain the MANY MANY drivers who stopped in the middle of the road to look at the wildlife . . . . blocking everyone behind them. (in both directions) for miles. for over 45minutes before I got through it.

 

(when I was close enough to see, the bison were *on the side the road, far enough away for cars to safely pass* if they wished.)

 

 

 

rant off. . . . .

Bison! I would have lost all sense, too! :001_wub:

[gardenmom5]

How did these fools get into Emory?!?! Lol. Maybe street crossing should be Common Core. ;)

 

 

common sense is not common - and not part of standarized testing.  I did hear of one student at my dds uni who failed a major test because her daddy forgot/wasn't able to phone her to get her up that morning . . . . um, how does one get to college without being able to get one's self UP in the morning?

[gardenmom5]

Bison! I would have lost all sense, too! :001_wub:

 

it was the third FULL herd today (not counting smaller groups).  I also really needed to get back to where we were staying as I wasn't feeling well.

 

but seriously - if a ranger had been around, they'd have shooed the people off the road.

I have much more understanding why the guy this morning cut out of the line of backed-up cars and started (whatever cowboys say to cattle) shooing the bison off the road.  I was surprised they obeyed him so readily.

 

dh did suggest we should have fed them oreo's.  that's what they used to get the bison to run while filming dances with wolves.  apparently you'd better not be between a bison and an oreo.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I guess I live in an area of geniuses.  I've never noticed that problem.  We do have the "too nice" problem at four-way stops though.  "You go."  "No, you go!"  Then everyone tries to go at the same time.  

[PrairieSong]

I don't know, but when our youngest ds was much smaller, he'd get after me for "running a red light" when I was at a green light and turned either right or left...because after I turned I did pass under a red light. I kept trying to explain to him that our light was green, it was okay for me to turn. It took him a while to get it.

[Arcadia]

We have California right turn on red here so besides drivers who beat the red light, we have to look out for drivers who don't look and don't slow down before doing a right turn on red. My youngest has seen so many beat the lights drivers and a drunk driver that went on the wrong direction he is very wary when crossing.

[medawyn]

Would that explain lack of turn signal usage?

This. I've started wondering if cars no longer come equipped with signals.

[MEmama]

Our state law dictates that pedestrians have the right of way at intersections and crosswalks. It's actually enforced, and most drivers comply. Just walking near a corner prompts traffic to stop. It's lovely.

[wintermom]

Our state law dictates that pedestrians have the right of way at intersections and crosswalks. It's actually enforced, and most drivers comply. Just walking near a corner prompts traffic to stop. It's lovely.

 

At EVERY instersection? Even when there are lights and advance green left signals?  Wouldn't that make driving difficult?  

 

Which state is this, just in case I drive there?

[MEmama]

At EVERY instersection? Even when there are lights and advance green left signals? Wouldn't that make driving difficult?

 

Which state is this, just in case I drive there?

Pedestrians don't cross at red lights. ??

 

No, it doesn't make driving difficult. It makes walking safe. :)

 

Maine.

 

(don't worry--we are accustomed to out of state drivers! Also, many towns have helpful signs at crosswalks reminding drivers of the law)

 

Also, if you come, give our cyclists 3 feet of space. It's another lovely law that helps protect us. :)

[flyingiguana]

I just about got killed this week trying to walk across a street on a green light.

 

Your pedestrians may not be dumb.  They may be really savvy about when the safe times are to cross at an intersection.  Sometimes, believe it or not, it's safer when the light is red for pedestrians.  There are so many cars gunning through intersections when the light is red for them that it may make sense for a pedestrian to wait.  (Or turning on a red without stopping)

 

On the other hand, a couple weeks ago, I just about killed a pedestrian who crossed on a red light (for him) -- he ran out from in front of a stopped bus.  I never saw him until the moment he just about fell into my car.  On the plus side, my daughter got to see some evasive driving in action.

[flyingiguana]

I'm just sayin'.

 

Why else could so. many. people. NOT know how to cross a street?

 

Is it always the same intersection?  If so, it would be the lights at that intersection that are the problem, not the pedestrians.

 

[Dmmetler]

DD is on a college campus right now, and laughed at the "Student exclusion fencing". Most of the dorms are across the street from the campus quad, and they have big fences all along the road, so the students can only cross at the bridge overpass. Which is exactly what is being studied in areas with big turtle (and other animals, I'm sure, but turtles are the ones DD is following)-fencing off the direct path so the turtles have to use the tunnels.

[unsinkable]

I just about got killed this week trying to walk across a street on a green light.

 

Your pedestrians may not be dumb. They may be really savvy about when the safe times are to cross at an intersection. Sometimes, believe it or not, it's safer when the light is red for pedestrians. There are so many cars gunning through intersections when the light is red for them that it may make sense for a pedestrian to wait. (Or turning on a red without stopping)

 

On the other hand, a couple weeks ago, I just about killed a pedestrian who crossed on a red light (for him) -- he ran out from in front of a stopped bus. I never saw him until the moment he just about fell into my car. On the plus side, my daughter got to see some evasive driving in action.

I didn't use the word dumb.

 

In the situations I am experiencing, I disagree it is safer for pedestrians to cross against their light because it would mean they are stepping into traffic that is starting to move, or in some cases already moving (they look at the green light for the north moving traffic and still continue walking.)

[zoobie]

Our state law dictates that pedestrians have the right of way at intersections and crosswalks. It's actually enforced, and most drivers comply. Just walking near a corner prompts traffic to stop. It's lovely.

Here pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks too BUT they have to obey the traffic laws. Crossing against a turn arrow or stop signal is illegal. If they have a walk sign, they have the right of way. If they have a stop sign, traffic has the right of way. A pedestrian caused a really bad car accident that hurt one of my friend's children. The pedestrian just walked out in traffic. The pedestrian was hurt as well but was ticketed for causing the accident. The DOT has built some special crosswalks that have flashing lights and everything in an area where people were darting across 6 lanes of traffic. It's helped, but people will still run across wherever they are instead of walking out of their way to the crosswalk.