Pedestrian walking here!

[amommy]

Yesterday I had to phone the police about a lighted intersection that was not working properly. All of the lights were green at the same time! After the advanced green went, then the pedestrian crossing sign came on. When the pedestrian crossing sign started to do its 20 second countdown, then the lights for the other direction went green too, so everything was green and the pedestrian crossing sign was going. It was a little scary as I was crossing the street!

That is defintly a scary situation to be in ... I think my heart would have been racing.

[rachel1496]

I'm especially cautious at intersections ever since I got hit crossing with my niece in her stroller. Some jerk in a truck was coming up behind me and turned left right into us. Both of us were ok, luckily, but he had the nerve to claim he didn't see us. We were in the middle of the crosswalk, I'm not a small woman and I was wearing a cherry red coat. You don't get more visible than that! It's sad when I feel safer jaywalking then I do crossing at most London intersections.

We're a one car family and the kids and I walk almost everywhere during the day. We chose the place we lived based on the ability to walk anywhere we need to go but between the drivers who seem to think that their need to get somewhere 15 seconds sooner is more important than us crossing safely and the city's terrible snow and ice clearing policies I'm beginning to think I should just give up and get a car.

[francine1985]

I'm especially cautious at intersections ever since I got hit crossing with my niece in her stroller. Some jerk in a truck was coming up behind me and turned left right into us. Both of us were ok, luckily, but he had the nerve to claim he didn't see us. We were in the middle of the crosswalk, I'm not a small woman and I was wearing a cherry red coat. You don't get more visible than that! It's sad when I feel safer jaywalking then I do crossing at most London intersections.

We're a one car family and the kids and I walk almost everywhere during the day. We chose the place we lived based on the ability to walk anywhere we need to go but between the drivers who seem to think that their need to get somewhere 15 seconds sooner is more important than us crossing safely and the city's terrible snow and ice clearing policies I'm beginning to think I should just give up and get a car.

The stupid thing is if they hit you they will get in a lot of trouble and will have to wait for the police. Or if they do a hit and run they will get into a lot more trouble and will definitely face jail time.

[tjthemanto]

I was having a conversation similar to this last week. My friend was adamant that pedestrians should just be able to walk at a four-way stop without ensuring traffic was stopped. I told him they have courses on defensive driving and pedestrians should also have to be defensive at intersections, right of way or not, because so many drivers are distracted, etc. I have been nearly hit more times than I can count due to drivers having no idea of thir surroundings and not being aware of crosswalks.

That being said, there is nothing I hate more than when I am driving the speed limit and someone jumps out out of nowhere (the whole "every intersection is an unmarked crosswalk law") and expecting you to be able to brake in that space. Going from 50 km/hr (or higher!) takes some stopping room even if you are aware of the surroundings.

Lot of pedestrians don't know this.

But if there is a stop sign and a car comes to a complete stop ( and is already waiting for a sec or so ) and you are still on the sidewalk a couple of steps behind from the curb , the car has the right of way and not you.

You don't just step in front of the already stopped car and start walking bcoz you are a pedestrian.

If your are already on the road or almost at the road , you start crossing ..otherwise you let the stopped car at the stop sign go first and then you cross behind it . Bcoz the car arrived at the intersection ( stop sign ) before you did ( you were still on the sidewalk a few steps behind ) and then it stopped and then it moved on.

[Ciel]

3M reflective ribbon loops on umbrella or tote handles or zipper pulls, plus a pocket flashlight are really key items now. On my street after dusk, I usually encounter drivers with high beam headlights but my flashlight or bobbing my head with eyeglasses sometimes quickly causes the drivers to revert to regular beams.

I have certain intersections where I check three times before crossing and make eye contact with coasting drivers, a few of whom seem suddenly aware "hey, there's someone at the crosswalk." I encounter drivers who look left when making a right turn and seem STUNNED to see me on their right side--if they notice halfway through their turn.

I notice that some left-turn drivers with advanced green lights don't move on the green arrow. I glance at them and then the drivers scoot through the light as it goes yellow. Sigh-where's the attention?

[Granger]

I was in Washington and they have pedestrian s. Big orange ones. You can carry them when you cross...probably goofy if you live there, but as tourists we had a blast with them.

[roseofblack25]

I was almost hit crossing the street to my place last night after class. I was crossing and the douche bag in his loud modified car was turning left. He had to swerve into the other lane (two lanes each direction road) to avoid hitting me. Yet I got yelled at??? I guess I missed something there since I had the white walk person sign while I was crossing...Guess he thought just because he had a green light he expected me to jump out of the way to accommodate him when I had the walk sign. A$$hole.

[tjthemanto]

I was almost hit crossing the street to my place last night after class. I was crossing and the douche bag in his loud modified car was turning left. He had to swerve into the other lane (two lanes each direction road) to avoid hitting me. Yet I got yelled at??? I guess I missed something there since I had the white walk person sign while I was crossing...Guess he thought just because he had a green light he expected me to jump out of the way to accommodate him when I had the walk sign. A$$hole.

These guys patiently stop for oncoming traffic when they take a left turn as they know they will be hit and will be at fault if they don't.

So why can't they wait for the pedestrians ( who have the right of way ) to finish crossing , when they ( cars) are taking a left turn .

[xox2010]

I was almost hit crossing the street to my place last night after class. I was crossing and the douche bag in his loud modified car was turning left. He had to swerve into the other lane (two lanes each direction road) to avoid hitting me. Yet I got yelled at??? I guess I missed something there since I had the white walk person sign while I was crossing...Guess he thought just because he had a green light he expected me to jump out of the way to accommodate him when I had the walk sign. A$$hole.

I hate those people! I have a question... if you are walking across a street with a 'walk' sign and the hand starts flashing, does this mean that the cars turning right have the right of way? Or do pedestrians always have the right of way when there's an automated walk signal?

[roseofblack25]

I hate those people! I have a question... if you are walking across a street with a 'walk' sign and the hand starts flashing, does this mean that the cars turning right have the right of way? Or do pedestrians always have the right of way when there's an automated walk signal?

Pretty sure pedestrians have the right of way until the countdown is over and the hand is solid. It's just impossible at most crossings near my place to even get fully across before the light starts flashing and the countdown starts. Pretty sure the countdown is there to let us know how many more seconds we have to cross before we become road kill :p

[tjthemanto]

I hate those people! I have a question... if you are walking across a street with a 'walk' sign and the hand starts flashing, does this mean that the cars turning right have the right of way? Or do pedestrians always have the right of way when there's an automated walk signal?

No , you still have the right of way if you are already on the road and have already started crossing, but if you are on the sidewalk ( curb ) and the hand is already flashing then you are supposed to still remain on the sidewalk and not start crossing , as you won't have enough time to cross.

[Stifler]

You do have the right of way, but doesn't mean the road is safe. Same goes the other way when cars drive and people jaywalk quickly. It happens.

It's the price you pay for walking...pay attention when you cross the road and expect people to possibly not see you. Don't trust anyone.

[xox2010]

K because I have been honked at etc for crossing while the little man is showing... I just recently started driving and it's amazing how little patience people in this city have!It was bad when I was a pedestrian but now that I'm a driver, I can really see it.

[amommy]

So the other day while I was walking in the parking lot there was this mini van and the driver was trying to adjust their parking by backing up and going back in. The driver clearly saw me as I stood there and waited patiently for them to get back into the spot so I walk pass. Once the driver was in I started to walk by I hadn't yet fully cleared the van when they decided to back up again. I couldn't back away from the car as there was cars driving through so I had to try to hussle it the last few steps. I mean I had an umbrella open too so they couldn't have missed the big/oversized colourful dome passing by their back window.

Then I get to a 4 way stop. I wait for the 3 cars that had stopped before me then it was my turn to go. I start accross and I noticed that the car on the opposite side of the street didn't actually come to a full stop, he did one of those nice rolling stops. Not only was he taking my right of way but also he stole the right away from 2 other drivers. Once he was in the middle of the intersection I stopped in the middle of the walk way and just started to wave them through as I wasn't going to chance having them run into me. It was pouring out and god only knows if he had good breaks and/or tires. He then stopped in the middle of the intersection hahaha and waited for me to go while holding everyone else up.

At the lights I wanted to give a thumbs up to a driver but thought they would think I was some kind of crazy person haha. At the lights she she came to a slow stop and left a lot of space between me and her ... because it was pouring out I figured she did this to ensure she stopped saftely for the both of us. Thank you mystery lady.