I hit the button to cross the street but the lights don’t activate. Why not? Pffft, I’m not an electrician. A fast moving motorist, in her benevolence, chooses not to hit me, but aghast, cranes her head to confirm the lack of flashing lights as proof that she was in the right to do so. This simply cannot be! How dare I cross here, despite the one, two, three, four signs and the literal crosswalk painted on the street! Conclusion: since crosswalks don’t exist unless there’s a flash of light, forget the orange flags. Give us flares. —I’m walking here!
This article appears in May 11-17, 2017.
Legit complaint. I’ve noticed too how motorists think that if it isn’t flashing suddenly that gives them a right to run through a crosswalk and have even been yelled at for crossing when the lights are out by motorists speeding through. Totally missed that loophole in the driver’s handbook.
You missed the part in the Drivers’ Handbook that says the pedestrian shall not enter a crosswalk which has a flashing overhead light unless they activate that light. Push the button and the light doesn’t work? You have to wait for motorists to pass.
Learn to cross the road, wha, did you skip grade 3?
The flashing light aids the drivers to see someone is crossing the road. If the light isn’t working the crosswalk doesn’t suddenly stop being a crosswalk!