Why Do Pedestrians Have The Right Of Way??

[polak]

Originally Posted by sixpacked

Or you stop for someone who is obviously going to cross, but then they go ahead and start waving at you to keep going. FU I have stopped so that you may cross safely.

If I see that you're screwing up the flow of traffic to stop for me (ex. the light is about to change and there are 6 cars behind you) I will attempt to wave you to go...

[Erick Estrada]

I walk across the road everyday to get my morning coffee and I can't count how many times I've felt the breeze of cars making left hand turns right behind me as I'm walking through the intersection. Like anyone else I'm not fond of the pedestrians that purposely drag their ass through the intersection to rub it in and fully exercise their right of way but it's kind of scary actually how little regard some Calgary drivers have for pedestrians.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I walk across the road everyday to get my morning coffee and I can't count how many times I've felt the breeze of cars making left hand turns right behind me as I'm walking through the intersection. Like anyone else I'm not fond of the pedestrians that purposely drag their ass through the intersection to rub it in and fully exercise their right of way but it's kind of scary actually how little regard some Calgary drivers have for pedestrians.

This is the case every where I have been. Not just a Calgary problem. Left hand turns are the worst culprit for it too.

I don't think you can really fix that unless you turn all solid green turn signals into reds. So you'd have the arrow (and right of way) and then you have to stop.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by polak

I'm against drivers having to be the ones responsible for spotting the idiot walking across some dinky residential road at night with his dark jeans and jacket and earphones in not paying attention to the fact that I might not have noticed him because I'm also yielding to cars... etc.

In the U.K., I believe cars have the right-of-way. Although I find this system helps to increase pedestrian awareness, the lack of driver awareness and responsibility in Calgary, as described above, will prevent it from working here. While the pedestrian should be paying attention, as a operator of a piece of machinery that can easily cause fatal injuries you have the responsibility to be paying attention to all of your surroundings.

Even when pedestrians are attentively waiting at crosswalks I’ve seen traffic blow through the intersection without a care.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I walk across the road everyday to get my morning coffee and I can't count how many times I've felt the breeze of cars making left hand turns right behind me as I'm walking through the intersection. Like anyone else I'm not fond of the pedestrians that purposely drag their ass through the intersection to rub it in and fully exercise their right of way but it's kind of scary actually how little regard some Calgary drivers have for pedestrians.

They've probably just moved from Toronto.

[Minnie]

I try very hard to be aware of pedestrians and stop for them in crosswalks, particularly since it's a $500+ fine if you get caught not stopping, lol. I even stop if you're not in a crosswalk. I try to apply how I feel as a pedestrian to how I treat pedestrians when I'm driving, and it's what we teach our kids when they're learning to drive.

But by gum, the few times I haven't stopped for those just starting to cross a street, or whatever, who are not in a crosswalk, because it's pretty clear I have time to move through, don't fecking flip me the bird or yell at me or give me the stinkeye. YOU are not in a crosswalk - technically, I don't have to stop. The right of way is mine and if it is safe for me to move through, then I will. The aforementioned behavior sometimes has me fantasizing about throwing it in reverse...(just a brief thought, not something I'd ever put into practice).

And, as someone else says, a pedestrian should be completely aware of traffic stopping - it's what I make sure of when I have to cross. I feel part of the responsibility is as much on my shoulders as it is on the shoulders as it is on the part of a driver. It's what we've taught our kids/nieces/nephews - yes, in a crosswalk, the right of way technically belongs to you, but it behooves you to make eye contact with the drivers, and to cross safely and with a promptness. Don't drag it along. It's rude. If you're going to attempt to cross without a crosswalk, don't expect to have people wanting to stop for you if you do - it's very nice when they do but really, if you're jaywalking, you're in the wrong here and you're taking responsibility for putting yourself in the hospital or in a casket if you jaywalk. It as much behooves you not to be an arsebite as it behooves a driver not to be an arsebite.

[Cowperson]

Here's the thing . . . . hitting a pedestrian means a lot of paperwork and bother.

Ergo, its worth your time to wait for pedestrians. Its not worth your time to hit pedestrians. Your time is valuable.

Pure economics.

Cowperson

[TorqueDog]

Pedestrians (and cyclists) would do well to respect the fact that they will lose against a 3,500 lb car every time, and drivers would do well to respect the fact that winning that battle still sucks ass and we should avoid having it if at all possible. Mutual respect would go a long way.

[Bunk]

It's interesting to see how people seem to refer to pedestrians as the other. As if they themselves are not ever pedestrians? It's funny because everyone is a pedestrian. Not everyone is a driver.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by fotze

I especially hate the gay ones. Bi-cyclists.

What if they're just bike-curious?

[Smartcar]

It's dangerous to stop for pedestrians where there is no crosswalk. Other drivers are not required to stop, and by stopping you may give the pedestrian a false sense of security and potentially cause an accident.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Bunk

It's interesting to see how people seem to refer to pedestrians as the other. As if they themselves are not ever pedestrians? It's funny because everyone is a pedestrian. Not everyone is a driver.

It's cause there isn't much to discuss from the view point of the pedestrian.

[yads]

Originally Posted by Smartcar

It's dangerous to stop for pedestrians where there is no crosswalk. Other drivers are not required to stop, and by stopping you may give the pedestrian a false sense of security and potentially cause an accident.

Keep in mind there is a crosswalk at nearly every intersection, whether it's marked or not.

[Cube Inmate]

Originally Posted by polak

I'm not saying outlaw pedestrians. I'm just saying switch the party that is responsible for the awareness because currently, the person who is going a lot faster, needs more time to stop and has a much harder time spotting the other party is the one that needs to yield. That doesn't make sense to me.

You need a license to drive a car -- a license that (theoretically) requires knowledge, skill, and a commitment to responsibility. To be a pedestrian, you need anywhere from 0 to 2 legs (wheelchairs count) and a brain that's functional enough to make those appendages move. Nothing more. I'm all for personal responsibility, but it isn't reasonable to assume that every single pedestrian is even capable of exercising proper discretion. It IS reasonable to assume (or demand that) every driver be capable of that.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by fotze

I especially hate the gay ones. Bi-cyclists.

You mean the bi ones?

[Flames0910]

I have a five minute walk to work, but have to cross 9th ave at an uncontrolled crosswalk.

Sometimes you can make eye contact with the driver in the first lane of traffic, but generally not all four. It is especially bad after chinooks or snowfalls when drivers can't see the lines and assume they have right of way... I've actually had cars accelerate into me as I cross, which sure gets me moving quickly - and gets them to their destination thirty seconds faster.

You should be in control of your vehicle, and aware of your surroundings. It's not like pedestrians come hurtling out of nowhere trying to throw you off. They're slow, and the potential for somebody to cross at an intersection shouldn't come as a surprise to any drivers.

[normtwofinger]

Not sure if it's out there, but I would like to see some stats of pedestrian fatalities of countries where cars have the right of way vs. countries where pedestrians have the right of way. If I were a betting man, I would say the fatalities are lower where cars have the right of way. Google here I come.

[OffsideSpecialist]

I have actually found myself having more close calls crossing the street legally than illegally. It's ridiculous. Especially the people that honk at me to let me know to stop so they can turn left and then give me a courtesy wave after they clear the intersection. WTF?

I am also one of the seemingly few people that is a drive, pedestrian and cyclist regularly (although I've retired the bicycle for the winter).

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

There are some crosswalks that if you didn't give pedestrians the right of way, then no one would ever stop to let people cross. It would be a completely ineffective crosswalk. You would then have to make it a controlled crosswalk which would slow down traffic.

Agreed. Especially in busier areas, if cars had the right of way in uncontrolled crosswalks, as a pedestrian you may as well have a sleeping bag with you. They don't like stopping for you even now with peds having the right of way, I can't imagine how bad it'd be if they had the law on their side too.

Originally Posted by flamesfever

The thing that bothers me is the odd teenager or group of teens that love to exersize their power by taking their own sweet time to cross the road, as you wait for them.

One thing I'll at least give teens credit for is the way they jaywalk compared to other ages. A dick move either way, but usually when I see teens jaywalk, they're sprinting full speed like maniacs, laughing the whole way. It's the 55+ crowd (in my experience anyway) who defiantly dawdle across the road, with an "F you, I'm older, you're waiting" mentality.

[AR_Six]

Originally Posted by Addick

In the U.K., I believe cars have the right-of-way.

Have you ever tried navigating a street in London as a pedestrian? It's a deathtrap. Seriously the motorists have zero concern for whether or not you're going to die. None. Actually had a relative killed there at 91 years old... lived long enough to see London, left his hotel and was almost immediately struck by a car.