You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

How blind and inattentive of a driver do you have to be? The guy had all the time in the world to see her and stop.

They were probably both on their phones.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

They were probably both on their phones.

Didn’t look like the pedestrian was on her phone.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Didn’t look like the pedestrian was on her phone.

Fuzz was too busy on his phone to see that she wasn't on her phone.

[Erick Estrada]

Looks like he was even berating her for being in the way or something. Maybe shock but I'm surprised the teen was so casual about it. Hope they find him as drivers like this need to have their licenses revoked.

[PepsiFree]

Insane video. Some people are absolutely rotten.

[Fuzz]

Ah, I previously watched a somehow even grainier video earlier, and it looked like she had was holding a phone to her ear. But that's her hair, I think. And that wouldn't make sense either, because young people don't talk on phones.


It was a little weird she didn't, like, see it at all. So many people don't even look when they cross. She totally had the right of way and is a victim here, but also probably could have avoided being hit. Nothing was blocking her view.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

It was a little weird she didn't, like, see it at all. So many people don't even look when they cross. She totally had the right of way and is a victim here, but also probably could have avoided being hit. Nothing was blocking her view.

Well thank f-ck you said it, I didn't want to be jerkface who pointed that out this time.

Yes, the driver is 100% at fault. No, that doesn't save one from criticism of not paying attention to your surroundings when stepping out into the street. I learned in driver's ed. to drive defensively, but I learned as a kid that I needed to cross the street defensively, too. That's something I noticed when I moved to Calgary that didn't really take amongst the populace here, everyone crosses like there's a car-stopping force-field generated by a good serving of stink-eye if a car comes too close to the crosswalk. I've seen how the people here drive, I cross the street like I don't trust any of 'em, because generally I don't.

[Wormius]

In Google Maps, it looks like the driver just came out of the school zone. Except for cars parked on the side and the trees, it should be pretty clear for everyone to see. But also, there was another kid crossing the other way, that should have alerted the driver to the pedestrian traffic.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Minivan drivers, man.

They're either slow and sluggish, or erratic and brain dead.

To be mad at the kid you mowed down in a crosswalk is something else though.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Well thank f-ck you said it, I didn't want to be jerkface who pointed that out this time.

Yes, the driver is 100% at fault. No, that doesn't save one from criticism of not paying attention to your surroundings when stepping out into the street. I learned in driver's ed. to drive defensively, but I learned as a kid that I needed to cross the street defensively, too. That's something I noticed when I moved to Calgary that didn't really take amongst the populace here, everyone crosses like there's a car-stopping force-field generated by a good serving of stink-eye if a car comes too close to the crosswalk. I've seen how the people here drive, I cross the street like I don't trust any of 'em, because generally I don't.

True, but she's a kid so you expect them to be oblivious. That's why we have school zones, and even though this was outside of one, the driver should have still been watching out.


The arm gestures, most likely accompanied by some verbal dumbassery, are what really get me. If you hit someone, even if it was their fault, you should be concerned for their wellbeing, not getting angry at them for scuffing up your sweet, sweet ride.

[DoubleF]

Based on the extremely long shadows, I assumed it was possible sun was in the eyes which is understandable because it's in the sunlight and then in the shade just moments before the collision.

Ignoring that though, the way the body language is when he got out of the vehicle... *shakes head*. Maximum judgement.

[Cappy]

Why are people on here even talking about what the pedestrian was doing prior to being hit.

She was at a ####ing crosswalk. She could've been walking blindfolded and it doesnt change the fact that the driver is 100% at fault here.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

The arm gestures, most likely accompanied by some verbal dumbassery, are what really get me. If you hit someone, even if it was their fault, you should be concerned for their wellbeing, not getting angry at them for scuffing up your sweet, sweet ride.

Exactly. Even is that dimwit thought it wasn’t his fault, why the #### is he berating the girl instead of helping her and checking if she’s okay? She rolled off his goddamn hood!

[DigitalCarpenter]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Why are people on here even talking about what the pedestrian was doing prior to being hit.

She was at a ####ing crosswalk. She could've been walking blindfolded and it doesnt change the fact that the driver is 100% at fault here.

Story time:

I almost made road pizza out of a 12 year old on an electric scooter. The pathway he was riding on runs parrallel with the exit ramp to Deerfoot. We were both travelling in the same direction.

I was overtaking him and he turned into the crosswalk to cross the off ramp road *without stopping or turning his head*. I had to hard slam on the breaks and turn away from him or he would have been seriously injured or dead. Pedestrians are supposed to stop before entering the crosswalk, we learned this in kindergarten. I rolled down the window and told him he had one job - to stop at the crosswalk before crossing. Drivers expect you to have a hand off with the pedestrian before they proceed. Not doing that is good way to remove yourself from the gene pool.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Why are people on here even talking about what the pedestrian was doing prior to being hit.

She was at a ####ing crosswalk. She could've been walking blindfolded and it doesnt change the fact that the driver is 100% at fault here.

No one is saying the driver isn't 100% at fault. The reality is they are far from the only ####ty driver on the road, and if you blindly cross the road, you need to accept occasionaly getting hit is going to happen. You can sue the driver, try to put them in jail, whatever. It doesn't change the reality that you could have prevented getting hit, and should be fully aware of your surroundings, even if you are in a cross walk. It's not a force field and people can kill you there, no matter how right you are.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

No one is saying the driver isn't 100% at fault. The reality is they are far from the only ####ty driver on the road, and if you blindly cross the road, you need to accept occasionaly getting hit is going to happen. You can sue the driver, try to put them in jail, whatever. It doesn't change the reality that you could have prevented getting hit, and should be fully aware of your surroundings, even if you are in a cross walk. It's not a force field and people can kill you there, no matter how right you are.

k.

[PaperBagger'14]

I’d probably be a little upset at the pedestrian for getting up and walking away, I’d want to check on her and make sure she’s okay but she seemed like she just wanted to go home and get on with her day.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

No one is saying the driver isn't 100% at fault. The reality is they are far from the only ####ty driver on the road, and if you blindly cross the road, you need to accept occasionaly getting hit is going to happen. You can sue the driver, try to put them in jail, whatever. It doesn't change the reality that you could have prevented getting hit, and should be fully aware of your surroundings, even if you are in a cross walk. It's not a force field and people can kill you there, no matter how right you are.

"I had the right of way" won't look as good on a tombstone as some might want to think.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Why are people on here even talking about what the pedestrian was doing prior to being hit.

She was at a ####ing crosswalk. She could've been walking blindfolded and it doesnt change the fact that the driver is 100% at fault here.

The minivan driver can't ####ing drive, the pedestrian can't ####ing pay attention... and it turns out you can't ####ing read, Cappy!

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

True, but she's a kid so you expect them to be oblivious. That's why we have school zones, and even though this was outside of one, the driver should have still been watching out.

She's 17, that's old enough to have operated a motor vehicle for three years, the 'kid' excuse doesn't really apply. I used to walk myself to school when I was 5. My mom taught me to make sure the cars see me and stop, being 'oblivious' when crossing the street was a non-starter. [shrug]

In this instance, the driver is so wrong that it's confusing how they failed to stop, but what I think Fuzz and I are both getting at is how do you not even take some sort of evasive action when you see a vehicle is coming towards you with no indication of slowing down? Not even a jump out of the way, a shuffle sideways, something to suggest you were paying attention to the 4,000 lb hunk of metal rolling toward you. That kind of obliviousness when crossing a street is worth suggesting, y'know, maybe walk a little bit smarter.


Alberta TSA: Pedestrians’ right of way
93(1) At a place where there is a crosswalk, a pedestrian has, unless otherwise directed by a peace officer or a traffic control device, the right of way over vehicles for the purpose of crossing the roadway within the crosswalk. (Read as: The driver was 100% in the wrong.)
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), nothing in this section relieves a pedestrian from the duty of exercising due care for the pedestrian’s own safety. (Read as: "I had the right of way" won't look as good on a tombstone as some might want to think. - Yamer)