inconsiderate rush hour drivers

LannieDuck

Bowling_4_Gold wrote: »

I just start walking out. Normally scares the driver enough to make them stop!

If you're going to do this (and being a Londoner, I do understand why you might), please signal your intention clearly beforehand so the driver has a chance to react.

There used to be a zebra crossing on my way to work just outside a tube station. It was a nightmare with pedestrians stepping out onto without even looking at the traffic. As a car driver it was v difficult to judge when a pedestrian was going to attempt to cross rather than just walk past it. Many times I came to an almost-stop only for the pedestrian to walk past rather than across, but I'd rather that than the alternative. Happily it's now been replaced with traffic lights.

If you're going to step out without waiting for the traffic to slow, do make eye contact with the driver you'll be stepping out in front of, or at least use body language to signal your intent.

Dave101t

think yourselves lucky.
here in china, those crossings exist, but mean absolutely nothing....at any time!
utter bedlam, yet few collisions........

cherie1122

There used to be a zebra crossing near the local university and the students used to just walk onto it whenever they felt like it even though the road wasn't very busy. They seemed to think it was their right to stop the traffic whenever they wanted to. We would drive along that road not knowing if we were going to have to do an emergency stop at the crossing or not - it was dreadfully dangerous. The worst times were lunchtime and evening rush-hour

The uni must have got fed up with the local people complaining about the way the students used the crossing because it got changed to one with traffic lights.

williham

cherie1122 wrote: »

There used to be a zebra crossing near the local university and the students used to just walk onto it whenever they felt like it even though the road wasn't very busy. They seemed to think it was their right to stop the traffic whenever they wanted to. We would drive along that road not knowing if we were going to have to do an emergency stop at the crossing or not - it was dreadfully dangerous. The worst times were lunchtime and evening rush-hour

The uni must have got fed up with the local people complaining about the way the students used the crossing because it got changed to one with traffic lights.

... You know it's their right of way, right?

julie03

cherie1122 wrote: »

There used to be a zebra crossing near the local university and the students used to just walk onto it whenever they felt like it even though the road wasn't very busy. They seemed to think it was their right to stop the traffic whenever they wanted to. We would drive along that road not knowing if we were going to have to do an emergency stop at the crossing or not - it was dreadfully dangerous. The worst times were lunchtime and evening rush-hour

The uni must have got fed up with the local people complaining about the way the students used the crossing because it got changed to one with traffic lights.

you should approach a crossing with caution as pedestrians have right of way, not cars. zebra crossings are not there for cars inconvience but to help pedestrians

NBLondon

cherie1122 wrote: »

The uni must have got fed up with the local people complaining about the way the students used the crossing because it got changed to one with traffic lights.

Did that actually make a difference? I ask because there's a pelican near me by a railway station and most of the commuters seem to ignore it and just take a diagonal straightline from Greggs or the coffee shop to the entrance of the station.

Yes - it is a pedestrian's right of way but that doesn't override the laws of physics:cool:

OddSocks

It's not so much the not stopping at Zebra Crossings that bothers me. It's crossing side streets!


I have a 2 year old and we live about 4 streets away from her playgroup at a local school and I have lost count of the drivers who just turn into the street without caring if anyone is crossing or not.


Rather than ensure that children are safe on the pavement it seems the norm to turn into the street anyway and almost clip the heels of the parents and children making the journey to and from school. On occasion I have known them to sound the horn and hurry them up across the road such is their need to be wherever.


I'm not talking about pedestrians just deciding on a whim to cross the street with no warning. They are usually already crossing, in the middle of the street by this point.


Another case of just don't care I guess.


x

Norman_Castle

I wave at drivers who pretend they can't see me.