Pedestrian Etiquette Rant

PhearlessPhreaks

What about the moms that push their strollers out in front of a moving vehicle (cross walk or not), how impressive are they?

If they don't have the right of way, stupid as *kitten*; however, Pedestrians do have the right of way in a crosswalk when the street they're crossing has a red light and said crosswalk has the white "walk" sign. Which, incidentally, I DID have that experience yesterday- even though I had pushed the button, waited for the light to change AND I waited for the first couple cars to go (because they clearly weren't going to wait for me) when it seemed clear, I started to go, and this dumb b*tch accelerated to get around me. I wish I'd had something heavy to throw her way.

And to the other poster about ppl walking the crosswalk slowly- I KNOW!!! Especially when they don't actually have the right of way! Just go damn it, and get out of my way! lol

Actually even with a cross walk I find it stupid. I mean litter ally pushing baby stroller out in traffic. Just because you have the "right of way" doesn't mean a vehicle can stop on a dime. I have two kids and have never assumed just because its a cross walk the cars are going to magically stop if I pushy infant in front of them (or any age child). That's my biggest pet peeve. Wait for the cars to stop then throw your child in traffic thank you.

"Throw" into traffic? Exaggerate much? It's state law that you are supposed to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, provided they aren't walking cross traffic (ie, crossing a road while traffic is moving.) I don't assume a car can stop on a dime, I assume drivers know the laws in the state which they're driving, and are paying attention. I'm 1/2 way across the road and said driver (who should have been paying attention) had plenty of time to *not* accelerate. Might I add, I was in the crosswalk first, I did not walk out into oncoming traffic. I think you distinctly mentioned your "peeve" being about pushing strollers out in front of moving vehicles... so, I'm not sure why you're getting sanctimonious and testy with me about it.

Again, I'm not talking about crossing a road in which traffic has a green light. I'm talking about crossing a road which has a red light where traffic has stopped, and the vehicle at the cross street (T intersection) is making a right hand turn. Several cars making a right hand turn at an intersection which does not have the "no right on red" stipulation *can* wait a goddamn minute and obey the law, thank YOU very much.

I like to exaggerate my point, essentially you are the care taker of your child and before you put their life at risk you should be certain vehicles are stopped. You yourself said you meant a red light, and I doubt any mother wants to seem like that woman we've all seen that doesn't even looks and just assumes because they have the right away cars (as I said before!) Magically stop.

Guess what your right of way and baby carriage isn't going to stop a 3000 lb vehicle fr running you over because they saw you to late and couldn't stop in time. Though I pay very good attention and am astounded by women that assume 3000lb (maybe more) vehicles going 30mph can stop in 2' distance for their baby carriage and again I cannot stress enough right away or not if that car cannot stop in time or doesn't see you your child is dead.

Taking into consideration how others drive (cell phones, changing music, doing make up, maybe eating, dropping something) frankly I will be sure vehicles are stopped before my baby is in front of 3000lb object.

AGAIN; I'm not talking about walking out into traffic; I'm not talking about walking across the street *just because* I have the right of way, regardless what is going on. I am talking about crossing the street after waiting until it was clear, only to encounter a vehicle after I was in the road.
If you *had* read my original response to your post, you would know that I HAD waited for traffic turning right, despite having the "right of way".
I take offense to the presumption that I wontonly put my children's life in danger by crossing a street willy-nilly. I do not throw my children into traffic, nor do I walk out into oncoming traffic.

Perhaps you are willfully *not* comprehending my posts for the sake of being argumentative? Are you having a rough day? Do you want to talk about it?

sympha01

I'm with you -- people walking against the flow of traffic (especially on a busy footpath) are thoughtless and rude. To be clear, I understand there's no LAW or anything: it's just very bad manners and selfish.

LOL, when grouchy, I have been known on occasion to just STOP and stare and the oncoming person. They move.

PhearlessPhreaks

I honestly hope you arent running over people with your stroller. I had some rude b1tch once run over my foot when I had a bad knee and couldnt move very fast with her stupid stroller...and this was at Disney Land!

From that day forward I dont have much patience for strollers. My favorite is crowded stores when the kid is walking and the whole thing is just loaded with junk.

no, im not- I was joking with the aforementioned poster! In reality, I've been the one maneuvering my double stroller out of the way of people who aren't staying to the right as they ought, (which, i think i said in my original post!)

PhearlessPhreaks

It drives me bonkers when people cross the crosswalks going sooooo slow. Speed walk! Knees to your chest!

Really? I hope you never have a hurt foot or get to be an old lady and someone's cursing you in the crosswalk for walking slow.

I can sympathize with you, but I think they were referring to the typical "kid" loping along... I would imagine the vast majority of us wouldn't begrudge someone with an impediment or an elderly person their extra time in getting across the road... It's a "do unto others thing" I think- me, as an able bodied human being ought to get out of the way as quickly as possible so to not impede others, but, if I were not able bodied, I would expect the same courtesy I would give in that scenario.

PhearlessPhreaks

I've given up on assuming that cars will stop at intersection and crosswalks for pedestrians. Everyone is in such a hurry nowdays and wherever they are going is more important to them than my life, so I have to assume that they plan on running me over.

I walk my dogs at a local park with greenway trails. Half of the path belongs to me and my dogs and anyone else moving in the same direction I am, the other half belongs to the people coming towards me, runners, walkers and bicyclists. I have had many a time when two women pushing strollers or a large family group has walked towards me, taking up the entire pathway and then bumped into or stepped on my dogs. So now I put them on my right side when a group is coming like that so I am walking on their outside and then I refuse to move. I generally look them right in the eyes and keep walking. I have yet to have anyone step on me or bump into me, though they would feel perfectly fine doing that to my dogs.

Pedestrian etiquette goes both ways- before we purchased our double stroller, we used our single stroller for the baby and the umbrella stroller for our toddler, so we could at least go for walks when my husband is home, and of course, when no one else is around, we walk next to one another; but we were always very conscious of people in front of us AND behind us, and move out of their way as needed, whether it was someone walking/jogging faster than us going the same direction, or someone coming the opposite way. It's just common courtesy that I guess isn't so common.

As an interesting aside: I gripe about this from Albany, NY which has recently been listed as #13 out of 20 most unfriendly cities! My husband and I were talking about this recently on one our walks- despite smiling and saying "hi" to people as we passed them, most ignored us!

DashDeV

That sounds like a personal problem.