Yep, as much as I appreciate the gesture, wave all you want but I decide when I’m going to cross, not you. And I’m not in such a big hurry as to be willing to risk my life and limb to get to the other side.
@macromeh as someone who walks two crazy dogs along the parkway of a meta-neighborhood nightly, I appreciate the hand wavers. (We’re in a neighborhood made up of sub neighborhoods, more people in it than some towns and the main streets are busy in evenings)
If someone doesn’t wave me across I can wait for 5-10 mins to cross the street. Fortunately people are nice and most people stop and wave me across.
If I had traffic lights or other crossing aids I’d go with that… But the wavers are the people who make it possible to spend more time walking than standing.
@OnionSoup The problem is, the waver is usually not monitoring traffic in the opposite direction - IME, they often frantically wave you on when there are vehicles coming the other way that may or may not stop. As I said, I decide when to cross.
The problem is, the waver is usually not monitoring traffic in the opposite direction - IME, they often frantically wave you on when there are vehicles coming the other way that may or may not stop. As I said, I decide when to cross.
@Limewater@macromeh I would never cross without checking first (and most of the waving for me is coming from side streets where there is no head on traffic but plenty of people turning in).
It’s always nice to know someone is stopping for me in one direction. Thankfully, the worst intersection I have to cross even has a Mini faux-pavilion in the median between lanes, so getting across one direction of traffic is half the battle and I have another safe spot to stop and wait
@macromeh@OnionSoup I’m sure there are cases where it makes sense and is even a good idea. Yours may be one of them. Hard-and-fast rules often have unintended negative consequences.
An issue Irk didn’t touch on, which I believe may be regional, is window tinting. Lots of vehicles here have tinted windows. Even if your windshield is not tinted, this makes it very difficult for a pedestrian to see the driver of a vehicle. I encounter this often at a crosswalk near my house. I can rarely see more than the faintest hint of a driver attempting to wave at me.
@Limewater@macromeh@OnionSoup So much this! I can’t tell you how many times (as a pedestrian and as a cyclist!) I’ve had scenarios where I could not tell whether a driver with dark window tint was waving me on or not. Some will eventually flash their lights, but most seem to have no grasp of the concept of dark tint + bright sun = invisible vehicle interior.
The drivers who are paying taxes for the road, taxes for the traffic lights, crosswalk signs, etc should have priority except when lights or signage specifically indicate otherwise.
Playing with idiot kalifornia pedestrian tourists on the Las Vegas strip back in the '80s was a constant hassle; they were used to kalifornia’s idiotic ‘pedestrians have right of way over God himself’ and just tumbled out into the street wherever they wanted without regard to lights or crossing indicators. Then the Nevadan’s insurance rates would go up after the inevitable interactions…
@duodec lets see, most places, the pedestrians are paying taxes too, places like california most of the roads are paid by gas taxes, but you are talking Nevada, where gambling and tourism taxes make most of the states income, so it’s actually those tourists paying for the roads.
That said, yes pedestrians should be crossing at crosswalks and actual intersections, with the light where there is one. Even in California, pedestrians are jaywalking if they cross mid street.
Where do you people live? In populated areas with actual foot traffic and vehicle traffic there are crosswalks at the corners. Or at least stop lights. Cross with the light.
What stop sign had enough traffic that this is an issue? Even if there was there’s plenty of time to jog to the middle line, pause and look/wait then cross the next lane…
If you just step in the middle of the road with your headphones in without looking that’s on you.
@unksol - Alas, the law says that if you’re the driver who runs into the guy who steps in the middle of the road with his headphones in without looking, the splat’s on you.
The safest thing is to always assume that everyone on or near the highway is just about to go crazy.
Alas, the law says that if you’re the driver who runs into the guy who steps in the middle of the road with his headphones in without looking, the splat’s on you.
I don’t believe that this is always the case, at least not everywhere. I am personally aware of a case where a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and was quite surprised when she was ruled to be at fault for the accident.
@aetris just no cause common sense and stopping distance.
Indiana law states that vehicles must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within a crosswalk. … The pedestrian must yield the right-of-way when he or she is not crossing within a marked crosswalk. Indiana law forbids the pedestrian from stepping into the path of a car that is close enough to be an immediate danger.
@aetris@unksol Oregon law says 1: Pedestrians have the right of way and, 2: Every intersection (as further defined in the law) is a crosswalk, whether it is marked or not unless it is explicitly posted otherwise. Approve or not, that’s the law here.
@aetris@macromeh I don’t think any one has an issue with people crossing at an intersection. You’re already stopped… people cross. Common sense. That’s where they should do it.
It’s the concept that people can just willy nilly walk in front of cars. They can’t
That would be perfect, but they shouldn’t, so it’s subjunctive. Unless they shouldn’t’ve, in which case it’s pluperfect subjunctive, and time to call a lawyer.
@aetris ok… Yes they are capable of it. But there’s a reason why Jay walking is a crime and why Oregon law specifically says an intersection is a cross walk. Just by putting that in it’s obvious you are expected to cross at one.
@aetris@unksol I agree that it is not good practice to walk in front of moving cars - thus my reluctance to cross solely on the urging of a waving driver. But not all lanes at intersections have a stop sign/light. Many have cross lanes (with stop signs) that intersect with through lanes (with no stop signs). And a route that I regularly walk (well, used to, before working from home) requires crossing the through lanes (the lanes without a stop sign/light). To add stress to the situation there are no cross walks painted on either set of lanes (but no signs prohibiting crossing).
@aetris@macromeh I think it boils down to if car has come to a stop at an intersection that’s an appropriate place to cross the street because a driver who is already stopped is not going to try and run over someone. And is already checking the intersection. And so should the pedestrian.
The assholes just jumping in the road… Different story
Of course in Cambodia he who makes eye contact first has the right of way so the pedestrian thing is really different. There are a limited number of traffic lights and almost no stop signs. As a result the only way to cross the street in busy parts of Phnom Phen, Siem Riep (where Angkor Watt is) is look down at the pavement or dirt and just slowly step out into traffic and walk. The traffic flows around you. The traffic though includes cars, motor bikes including fully loaded with a family and pulling a trailer, bicycles including pulling trailers, tucktucks (rickshaws), elephants, donkey (and horse) drawn carts, human pulled carts… and the entire thing is chaos in slow motion. Also the center line is just a decoration and the best safety item on a car is the horn.
When I lived in ID cars stopped even for jaywalkers. Where I live now good luck with crossing the street even if you have a cross walk and a signal for pedestrians.
Yes, this 1000X!
The driver is stopping out of guilt, not out of a desire to see the pedestrian cross safely.
Irk is what 5 or 6 years old now? He was created when Meh was. Why should Irk worry about traffic laws, he is too young to drive?
And he’s far too short to reach the peddles anyway. It’s not safe for him to drive. I’m reporting him to the Texas Highway Patrol.
Yep, as much as I appreciate the gesture, wave all you want but I decide when I’m going to cross, not you. And I’m not in such a big hurry as to be willing to risk my life and limb to get to the other side.
@macromeh as someone who walks two crazy dogs along the parkway of a meta-neighborhood nightly, I appreciate the hand wavers. (We’re in a neighborhood made up of sub neighborhoods, more people in it than some towns and the main streets are busy in evenings)
If someone doesn’t wave me across I can wait for 5-10 mins to cross the street. Fortunately people are nice and most people stop and wave me across.
If I had traffic lights or other crossing aids I’d go with that… But the wavers are the people who make it possible to spend more time walking than standing.
@OnionSoup The problem is, the waver is usually not monitoring traffic in the opposite direction - IME, they often frantically wave you on when there are vehicles coming the other way that may or may not stop. As I said, I decide when to cross.
@macromeh @OnionSoup
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-wave-of-death-why-all-you-polite-drivers-are-getting-pedestrians-killed
@Limewater @macromeh I would never cross without checking first (and most of the waving for me is coming from side streets where there is no head on traffic but plenty of people turning in).
It’s always nice to know someone is stopping for me in one direction. Thankfully, the worst intersection I have to cross even has a Mini faux-pavilion in the median between lanes, so getting across one direction of traffic is half the battle and I have another safe spot to stop and wait
@macromeh @OnionSoup I’m sure there are cases where it makes sense and is even a good idea. Yours may be one of them. Hard-and-fast rules often have unintended negative consequences.
An issue Irk didn’t touch on, which I believe may be regional, is window tinting. Lots of vehicles here have tinted windows. Even if your windshield is not tinted, this makes it very difficult for a pedestrian to see the driver of a vehicle. I encounter this often at a crosswalk near my house. I can rarely see more than the faintest hint of a driver attempting to wave at me.
@Limewater @macromeh @OnionSoup So much this! I can’t tell you how many times (as a pedestrian and as a cyclist!) I’ve had scenarios where I could not tell whether a driver with dark window tint was waving me on or not. Some will eventually flash their lights, but most seem to have no grasp of the concept of dark tint + bright sun = invisible vehicle interior.
The drivers who are paying taxes for the road, taxes for the traffic lights, crosswalk signs, etc should have priority except when lights or signage specifically indicate otherwise.
Playing with idiot kalifornia pedestrian tourists on the Las Vegas strip back in the '80s was a constant hassle; they were used to kalifornia’s idiotic ‘pedestrians have right of way over God himself’ and just tumbled out into the street wherever they wanted without regard to lights or crossing indicators. Then the Nevadan’s insurance rates would go up after the inevitable interactions…
Meh.
@duodec lets see, most places, the pedestrians are paying taxes too, places like california most of the roads are paid by gas taxes, but you are talking Nevada, where gambling and tourism taxes make most of the states income, so it’s actually those tourists paying for the roads.
That said, yes pedestrians should be crossing at crosswalks and actual intersections, with the light where there is one. Even in California, pedestrians are jaywalking if they cross mid street.
Where do you people live? In populated areas with actual foot traffic and vehicle traffic there are crosswalks at the corners. Or at least stop lights. Cross with the light.
What stop sign had enough traffic that this is an issue? Even if there was there’s plenty of time to jog to the middle line, pause and look/wait then cross the next lane…
If you just step in the middle of the road with your headphones in without looking that’s on you.
@unksol - Alas, the law says that if you’re the driver who runs into the guy who steps in the middle of the road with his headphones in without looking, the splat’s on you.
The safest thing is to always assume that everyone on or near the highway is just about to go crazy.
@aetris @unksol
I don’t believe that this is always the case, at least not everywhere. I am personally aware of a case where a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and was quite surprised when she was ruled to be at fault for the accident.
@aetris just no cause common sense and stopping distance.
Indiana law states that vehicles must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within a crosswalk. … The pedestrian must yield the right-of-way when he or she is not crossing within a marked crosswalk. Indiana law forbids the pedestrian from stepping into the path of a car that is close enough to be an immediate danger.
@aetris @unksol Oregon law says 1: Pedestrians have the right of way and, 2: Every intersection (as further defined in the law) is a crosswalk, whether it is marked or not unless it is explicitly posted otherwise. Approve or not, that’s the law here.
@macromeh @unksol - Running people over is frowned upon in Pennsylvania, but lawyers have a lot to say and judges have the right of weigh.
@aetris @macromeh I don’t think any one has an issue with people crossing at an intersection. You’re already stopped… people cross. Common sense. That’s where they should do it.
It’s the concept that people can just willy nilly walk in front of cars. They can’t
That would be perfect, but they shouldn’t, so it’s subjunctive. Unless they shouldn’t’ve, in which case it’s pluperfect subjunctive, and time to call a lawyer.
@aetris ok… Yes they are capable of it. But there’s a reason why Jay walking is a crime and why Oregon law specifically says an intersection is a cross walk. Just by putting that in it’s obvious you are expected to cross at one.
@aetris @unksol I agree that it is not good practice to walk in front of moving cars - thus my reluctance to cross solely on the urging of a waving driver. But not all lanes at intersections have a stop sign/light. Many have cross lanes (with stop signs) that intersect with through lanes (with no stop signs). And a route that I regularly walk (well, used to, before working from home) requires crossing the through lanes (the lanes without a stop sign/light). To add stress to the situation there are no cross walks painted on either set of lanes (but no signs prohibiting crossing).
@aetris @macromeh I think it boils down to if car has come to a stop at an intersection that’s an appropriate place to cross the street because a driver who is already stopped is not going to try and run over someone. And is already checking the intersection. And so should the pedestrian.
The assholes just jumping in the road… Different story
Of course in Cambodia he who makes eye contact first has the right of way so the pedestrian thing is really different. There are a limited number of traffic lights and almost no stop signs. As a result the only way to cross the street in busy parts of Phnom Phen, Siem Riep (where Angkor Watt is) is look down at the pavement or dirt and just slowly step out into traffic and walk. The traffic flows around you. The traffic though includes cars, motor bikes including fully loaded with a family and pulling a trailer, bicycles including pulling trailers, tucktucks (rickshaws), elephants, donkey (and horse) drawn carts, human pulled carts… and the entire thing is chaos in slow motion. Also the center line is just a decoration and the best safety item on a car is the horn.
When I lived in ID cars stopped even for jaywalkers. Where I live now good luck with crossing the street even if you have a cross walk and a signal for pedestrians.