Zebra "crossings"
Discussion
These are put on roads to allow pedestrians to cross safely, right? If you see a pedestrian on a zebra crossing in front of you, you're supposed to stop until they're off the crossing. Or has someone changed the rules recently?
There's a zebra crossing in our village. I use it occasionally and it's very rare for traffic to stop. I was on it today and a post office van passed in front of me, and a couple of seconds later a builder's van passed behind me, all while I was actually on the crossing.
(Before anyone points it out, I was well onto the crossing before they got there - I don't just leap out like a maniac and expect traffic to stop!) And before now, I've had the baby with me in the pushchair and cars have actually swerved round me while I'm on the crossing. Lucky they didn't just drive over me, I suppose... 
What to do? Carry a large pointy object to poke offending vehicles with? Invest in some decent trainers for running-across purposes?
Hm. Maybe this is another case of F
k You Britain, in which case the most sensible course of action would be to move to another country. Where people show some respect for others and don't try to squash them flat simply because they're in the way and delaying their oh-so-important journeys by a couple of seconds. 
There's a zebra crossing in our village. I use it occasionally and it's very rare for traffic to stop. I was on it today and a post office van passed in front of me, and a couple of seconds later a builder's van passed behind me, all while I was actually on the crossing.
(Before anyone points it out, I was well onto the crossing before they got there - I don't just leap out like a maniac and expect traffic to stop!) And before now, I've had the baby with me in the pushchair and cars have actually swerved round me while I'm on the crossing. Lucky they didn't just drive over me, I suppose... What to do? Carry a large pointy object to poke offending vehicles with? Invest in some decent trainers for running-across purposes?
Hm. Maybe this is another case of F
k You Britain, in which case the most sensible course of action would be to move to another country. Where people show some respect for others and don't try to squash them flat simply because they're in the way and delaying their oh-so-important journeys by a couple of seconds. 
I know how you feel. It really annoys me when people don't stop.
I am currently living / working in Gibraltar and it drives me completely insane at how stupid the drivers here really are.
I was run over on a crossing recently : - www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=1&f=23&t=72094&h=0&hw=curry+popadom
Also, here people do not understand what a flashing amber light means (and also a flashing green man!) as soon as it changes to flashing the cars start and expect the pedestrians to move.
This place is full of neolitihic numpties that some how or other obtained a driving licence.
I would say Gib is MUCH MUCH worse then the UK.
In Morocco its really bad also, but they have an excuse! The road systems are bizarre, not clearly sign posted, donkeys, people everywhere!
I am currently living / working in Gibraltar and it drives me completely insane at how stupid the drivers here really are.
I was run over on a crossing recently : - www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=1&f=23&t=72094&h=0&hw=curry+popadom
Also, here people do not understand what a flashing amber light means (and also a flashing green man!) as soon as it changes to flashing the cars start and expect the pedestrians to move.
This place is full of neolitihic numpties that some how or other obtained a driving licence.
I would say Gib is MUCH MUCH worse then the UK.
In Morocco its really bad also, but they have an excuse! The road systems are bizarre, not clearly sign posted, donkeys, people everywhere!
cptsideways said:
I make it look like I'm just about to walk out in front of em. soon puts the willys up em.
I've always wanted to try this with a polystyrene model & see what happens.
Yup
I've got into the awful habit of walking onto crossing when I can CLEARLY see that the driver coming won't stop, it certainly shows which ones are paying attention. In fact if someone shouts at me, I'm actually pleased, at least THEY were paying attention!
forever_driving said:
I make it look like I'm just about to walk out in front of em. soon puts the willys up em.
I've always wanted to try this with a polystyrene model & see what happens.
Yup
I've got into the awful habit of walking onto crossing when I can CLEARLY see that the driver coming won't stop, it certainly shows which ones are paying attention. In fact if someone shouts at me, I'm actually pleased, at least THEY were paying attention!
You are asking for trouble! It's simply not worth it.
I think what you're seeing is the other side of the road debate.
On the one hand there's people "like us", who are careful, considerate, aim to drive in a skilful and appropriate manner, and may occasionally drive at a speed in excess of the limits where it is safe to do so.
On the other hand you have "the rest", who are often inconsiderate (deliberately or obliviously), don't see driving as a skill to be nurtured, and drive how they like whether it's safe or not (deliberately or obliviously).
Considering the second group. There are the numpties (oblivious) who have little idea of what's around them, get in the way, and sometimes get caught on cameras because they didn't notice them. And there are the idiots like you describe (deliberate), who just don't care about anyone else, like the one I saw who had a sign on the back of his truck saying "If this vehicle is being driven discourteously, tough". I see both types as "the rest" because their driving is not according to the conditions.
The oblivious numpties may be a huge nuisance but they are probably "harmless" as long as there's enough people who still know how to drive defensively. If they complain at being caught on camera then they can be accused of being yobbish, so that's ok. The deliberate idiots would be caught more often if there were more traffic police or if they were a priority. And there's us. Probably a minority, because it's usually a minority that has the desire to do any skilled job properly. Sadly the numpties are in the majority, and they see everyone else as too aggressive, so we suffer because we're lumped in with the idiots. In a democracy the majority is always right, so speed limits come down as a proxy for actually tackling the root cause of the problems -- the idiots.
What we need is an attitude test prior to the driving test. Those who are too aggressive, OR too timid, should not pass. Any chance? No.
On the one hand there's people "like us", who are careful, considerate, aim to drive in a skilful and appropriate manner, and may occasionally drive at a speed in excess of the limits where it is safe to do so.
On the other hand you have "the rest", who are often inconsiderate (deliberately or obliviously), don't see driving as a skill to be nurtured, and drive how they like whether it's safe or not (deliberately or obliviously).
Considering the second group. There are the numpties (oblivious) who have little idea of what's around them, get in the way, and sometimes get caught on cameras because they didn't notice them. And there are the idiots like you describe (deliberate), who just don't care about anyone else, like the one I saw who had a sign on the back of his truck saying "If this vehicle is being driven discourteously, tough". I see both types as "the rest" because their driving is not according to the conditions.
The oblivious numpties may be a huge nuisance but they are probably "harmless" as long as there's enough people who still know how to drive defensively. If they complain at being caught on camera then they can be accused of being yobbish, so that's ok. The deliberate idiots would be caught more often if there were more traffic police or if they were a priority. And there's us. Probably a minority, because it's usually a minority that has the desire to do any skilled job properly. Sadly the numpties are in the majority, and they see everyone else as too aggressive, so we suffer because we're lumped in with the idiots. In a democracy the majority is always right, so speed limits come down as a proxy for actually tackling the root cause of the problems -- the idiots.
What we need is an attitude test prior to the driving test. Those who are too aggressive, OR too timid, should not pass. Any chance? No.
Deester said:
What we need is an attitude test prior to the driving test. Those who are too aggressive, OR too timid, should not pass. Any chance? No.
No chance that would happen. It makes sense which is completely against the grain.
And it's probably not PC to discriminate against the agressive/timid
It's not just crossings. On our estate there are lots of mini roundabouts instead of T-junctions on the main road through the estate - most people straight line these and ignore the fact that they should give way to the right. I was nearly hit a couple of days ago and this morning some Tr in a big old Volvo nearly wiped out my wife as she turned right on one of these roundabouts. I normally assume that people aren't going to stop and therefore have avoided being in an accident so far but others might not be so lucky.
r in a big old Volvo nearly wiped out my wife as she turned right on one of these roundabouts. I normally assume that people aren't going to stop and therefore have avoided being in an accident so far but others might not be so lucky.Disagree - sorry. 
This is one place where active policing could help. If people are getting injured or killed, what will cameras do? Nothing at all, except raise revenue. Nobody learns a thing from being hit with a fine issued by a computer somewhere.
Nope, what you need are police officers pulling offenders over and giving them a stern talking-to before fining them. That's how people learn how to behave on the roads. IMHO.
Edited to add: Shaun, I agree with you though. Mini-roundabouts are worse than nothing at all. Same round here - people think they can just pile straight on without giving way as per the law.
>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 27th February 15:28
This is one place where active policing could help. If people are getting injured or killed, what will cameras do? Nothing at all, except raise revenue. Nobody learns a thing from being hit with a fine issued by a computer somewhere.
Nope, what you need are police officers pulling offenders over and giving them a stern talking-to before fining them. That's how people learn how to behave on the roads. IMHO.
Edited to add: Shaun, I agree with you though. Mini-roundabouts are worse than nothing at all. Same round here - people think they can just pile straight on without giving way as per the law.
>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 27th February 15:28
cptsideways said:I do think that this is a most unfortunate combination of phrases ... "putting the willys up" and "I've always wanted to try this with a polystyrene model"
I make it look like I'm just about to walk out in front of em. soon puts the willys up em.
I've always wanted to try this with a polystyrene model & see what happens.
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