Crossing the road without looking
Discussion
Seems to be a thing here in NZ. Along with jay walking. I don’t recall it being so bad in the UK.
Perhaps I was indoctrinated by the Green Cross Code Man or I just don’t have enough faith in my fellow humans but I don’t think I could cross a road with my back turned to oncoming traffic.
Or like the woman this week who crossed the side road I was turning into without checking to see if traffic was coming.
Not as if Kiwi drivers are particularly good either.
Perhaps I was indoctrinated by the Green Cross Code Man or I just don’t have enough faith in my fellow humans but I don’t think I could cross a road with my back turned to oncoming traffic.
Or like the woman this week who crossed the side road I was turning into without checking to see if traffic was coming.
Not as if Kiwi drivers are particularly good either.
Someone crossing the street without looking isn't so bad if you're an observant driver and can tell someone isn't paying attention...
It's when you're driving a bus, with your nearside indicator on at night coming up to a left turn and the cyclist riding on the pavement to your left looks at you, makes eye contact and still proceeds to cross in front of you as you start to turn...
It's when you're driving a bus, with your nearside indicator on at night coming up to a left turn and the cyclist riding on the pavement to your left looks at you, makes eye contact and still proceeds to cross in front of you as you start to turn...
NMNeil said:
You just can't fix stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdf2sJtPIJY
You can, but you may need some T-Cut to get rid of the damagehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdf2sJtPIJY
Seemed to be ‘a thing’ in parts of south london a few years ago, also saw it in Wood Green.
Young men just walking off the pavement without looking. Often then doing that arms out ‘you want some!,’ posturing when beeped at or cars pulling up sharply to avoid hitting them.
Had a puffa-jacketed idiot nearly end up on our bonnet - partner just managed to brake in time a he walked straight into traffic. ‘f
kin’ bh!’….charming.
Young men just walking off the pavement without looking. Often then doing that arms out ‘you want some!,’ posturing when beeped at or cars pulling up sharply to avoid hitting them.
Had a puffa-jacketed idiot nearly end up on our bonnet - partner just managed to brake in time a he walked straight into traffic. ‘f
kin’ bh!’….charming. A few months back I was driving home on a straight stretch of road, some sketchy looking council dweller ran straight out and bounced off the side of my car. Broke the door mirror clean off and put a dent in the rear quarter, circa £1500 worth of damage.
Nothing I could do, but suck it up, he clearly wasn't going to pay for it.
Nothing I could do, but suck it up, he clearly wasn't going to pay for it.
Esceptico said:
Seems to be a thing here in NZ. Along with jay walking. I don’t recall it being so bad in the UK.
Perhaps I was indoctrinated by the Green Cross Code Man or I just don’t have enough faith in my fellow humans but I don’t think I could cross a road with my back turned to oncoming traffic.
Or like thewoman this week who crossed the side road I was turning into without checking to see if traffic was coming. man who turned into a side street without checking to see if any pedestrians were crossing
Not as if Kiwi drivers are particularly good either.
FTFYPerhaps I was indoctrinated by the Green Cross Code Man or I just don’t have enough faith in my fellow humans but I don’t think I could cross a road with my back turned to oncoming traffic.
Or like the
Not as if Kiwi drivers are particularly good either.
It's definitely increased here in recent years, like said often with a swagger but not always.
I just don't get how you can strut into the road crossing at an angle on a collision vector with your back to oncoming traffic expecting it to slow, what if the drivers equally stupid and ignorant as yourself? Id feel compulsed to look, its natural survival instinct.
I just don't get how you can strut into the road crossing at an angle on a collision vector with your back to oncoming traffic expecting it to slow, what if the drivers equally stupid and ignorant as yourself? Id feel compulsed to look, its natural survival instinct.
jdw100 said:
Seemed to be ‘a thing’ in parts of south london a few years ago, also saw it in Wood Green.
Young men just walking off the pavement without looking. Often then doing that arms out ‘you want some!,’ posturing when beeped at or cars pulling up sharply to avoid hitting them.
Yea you get the yoofs doing similar here. Or worse they look, walk anyway then deliberately "slow walk" to annoy you as you approach. Young men just walking off the pavement without looking. Often then doing that arms out ‘you want some!,’ posturing when beeped at or cars pulling up sharply to avoid hitting them.
I'd love to be able to get away with running little s
ts like that over. Not mow them down and kill them at speed, just bounce them off the bumper at 20mph or so meaning that they have a few broken bones and a few months recovery to think about their actions and how they should have been less of a knobhead. sociopath said:
FTFY
Typical PH comment. I didn’t know you were there taking notes.Given that she was walking on the path of the road I was driving on and carried on that path (but needed to cross the road on the left that I turned into) of course I could see her. I also anticipated her f
kwit behaviour and slowed so I could stop if she walked off the kerb without looking (like she did). My mates dad spent many years in South Africa, and if a chap stops your car there, its best to keep going....
Someone did it to him in Manchester, the what you going to do about it swagger, the training kicked in and the guy almost managed to get out of the way
Nothing came of it but he suspected that he got a broken leg for his trouble.
Someone did it to him in Manchester, the what you going to do about it swagger, the training kicked in and the guy almost managed to get out of the way
Nothing came of it but he suspected that he got a broken leg for his trouble.
One of the things my wife and I noticed when we moved to the UK from SA in '96 was a total absence of road sense from pedestrians, youngsters (often teenagers) being the worst.
They would just wander across the road, seemingly oblivious to approaching vehicles.
Another favourite was at junctions - they would just cross without looking behind them to see if any vehicle was about to enter the junction they were crossing.
And then of course there are those who see you belatedly, but then just continue to saunter across the road.
So it's been pretty common here in the UK for a long time IMHO.
They would just wander across the road, seemingly oblivious to approaching vehicles.
Another favourite was at junctions - they would just cross without looking behind them to see if any vehicle was about to enter the junction they were crossing.
And then of course there are those who see you belatedly, but then just continue to saunter across the road.
So it's been pretty common here in the UK for a long time IMHO.
Clearly pedestrians should look out for traffic; they shouldn't expect other people to do the looking for them. But I'm not sure the example of people walking across the end of side turnings that motorists are about to enter is a great example to give since that's an issue where the (UK) highway code says to motorists "watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way".
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