crossing the street law

[Dunkopf]

Yep. You should always watch out fro yourself and others. I've stopped people from walking in front of cars that were texting while walking. When I lived in California before they even had cell phones, people would run across the street any where without looking. Reason is because Ca has a law that the pedestrian always has the right of way. So everyone needs to be careful. I always make eye contact as someone else said. I don't want to be one of those people laying on the ground bleeding out while a crowd of people stands around gawking at me and someone runs around crying and saying "I didn't see him, I looked down and back up and he was right in front of me." Not just my life destroyed but the driver too and of course my family and all the other people that love me.

Gritstar. I'm sure you hug your DH with real meaning every morning. As you should. Yes when I was a kid I felt safer knowing the next door neighbor was a cop and he would come if anyone on the street needed him while he was off duty. I'll try to smile more at cops when I see them to let them know they are appreciated. They probably drive around feeling like most drivers don't like them. That would be a crummy feeling.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yep, all the more reason for the pedestrian to take responsibility for ones ownself and not expect safety just because they may be in the right.

My DH did traffic observation outside the local high school recently. He was there when school let out. Out of all those kids, he said he counted like five that didn't have their noses buried in the cell phones, texting, while crossing the parking lot and (rather dangerous) road in front of it.

Goodness forbid, one of those kids get hit (and it's happened) two lives would be deeply affected. The kid that didn't have better sense than to watch where they were going and the driver of the vehicle. Regardless of the legal ramifications of hitting someone, the driver would have to live with the emotional turmoil of it. The emotional toll would be the same whether it was a cop, doctor, teacher, or whoever that was driving the vehicle.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:
Yep, all the more reason for the pedestrian to take responsibility for ones ownself and not expect safety just because they may be in the right.

My DH did traffic observation outside the local high school recently. He was there when school let out. Out of all those kids, he said he counted like five that didn't have their noses buried in the cell phones, texting, while crossing the parking lot and (rather dangerous) road in front of it.

Goodness forbid, one of those kids get hit (and it's happened) two lives would be deeply affected. The kid that didn't have better sense than to watch where they were going and the driver of the vehicle. Regardless of the legal ramifications of hitting someone, the driver would have to live with the emotional turmoil of it. The emotional toll would be the same whether it was a cop, doctor, teacher, or whoever that was driving the vehicle.

Well said. We as pedestrians need to take responsibility for ourselves and pay attention to what is going on around us.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Im lost why people assume the OP was not paying attention... They said the were half way across the road when the car pulled away from the stop sign an threw the intersection an cross walk. Op said they had to stop to keep from being hit an managed to yell at the car as it went threw the cross walk. Sounds like the OP was on the ball to me...

 

[schellie69]

My DH rides his motorcycle all the time I don't know how many times a person in a car will turn right in front of him from a stop sign they aren't watching for people or motorcycles. Some people are talking on the cell phone, eating ect. He has been almost hit to many times to count. This same thing happen with a police officer who was talking on his cell phone had my DH not been watching like he always does I would have been burying my husband and a police officer would have been responsible for killing someone. My DH did call his supervisor just as he has written down license plate numbers of other cars and has reported them. Does not matter if it is a regular joe firefighter or cop they need to watch the road. The police do have a rule about driving while using a cell phone. The Supervisor was glad DH called and said that he would talk to the officer. The police do not need any more negative press. I respect the job that police officer do but they are not above the law neither or judges lawyers or anyone else IMO

 

[KristyHall]

Quote:
Me too. I honestly think the some of the people raising the fuss and questioning the OP would not be if it wasn't an officer involved

 

[DuckLady]

I don't think anyone is saying the OP wasn't paying attention.

We are just saying that as the more fragile part of a collision, the ped should be very aware of their surroundings whether they are in a crosswalk or not.

And drivers, being in a heavy and powerful piece of machinery need to understand the potential and be aware as well.

 

[KristyHall]

Quote:
It is a scary situation all around. That is how I was in my serious car accident. There were children all around, a school bus was far up ahead. I saw something small run into the road. It turns out it was a dog.

I slammed on my brakes. I was hit from behind by a city water truck going over 55 MPH (I wasn't going that fast.) It crumpled up my little cobalt super sport like a tin can and put me through physical therapy for two years and now I'm on disability. But if it had turned out to be a child and I would have hit the child... well all I am saying I would rather be hit by a truck then hit someone.

I Understand your point and the other's points fully. It's not a burden anyone wants.

 

[ranchhand]

Terrie is right, in the long run we ALL need to be aware of what is happening around us, on foot or in a vehicle. No life is worth risking. Walking shouldn't be risky, but this isn't a perfect world. The OP was certainly aware, maybe just a bit of a judgement check would have been in order.

My point was simply that the OPs story was changing with various posts and I am still not clear on whether or not the OP was IN a crosswalk or BETWEEN 2 separate crosswalks.
I am reminded of a post from year before last, when a different person posted, plenty mad because he got a ticket for speeding in a school zone. About 4 pages of righteous indignation followed, only to have the OP in that thread say that they never went more than 5 mph over the school zone speed limits. Maybe 10. But NEVER more than that. More than a few parents had something to say about that.

Which is the reason for my sig line - it's easy to just leap into the fray, assuming the OP is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But it is affected by emotions at the time, and if the original post starts to wander a bit, I start wondering why. What's the rest of the story? I am not going to make a judgement, I only want to hear the WHOLE story before leaping to the defense.

So no offense whatsoever to the OP, but your relating of the incident is not very clear. Until then, I won't bash another individual.

Peace, love and clarity, ya'll.

 

[gritsar]

Quote: