We are at war over petroleum. Let the cars go first. It wouldn’t hurt pedestrians to stop for a second instead of demanding that cars slam their breaks on at cross walks and such. In the name of conservation – our clean air, our safety as citizens of the world, the longevity of our planet – it’s the most altruistic and safest option. I know, I know, I should be using public transit. I am a hypocrite. This is not a public transit friendly city and when I am walking, I stop for cars.
And another thing: it should not be illegal to roll up to a stop sign. That is rediculous.
This article appears in Feb 14-20, 2008.
What does any of that mean?
I think he is saying that if you stop for pedestrians the terrorists win.
I don’t know what rediculous means ( 😉 ) however I believe A driver is referring to a “Montreal Stop” or not completely stopping at a stop sign. Yeah, I can agree to that, but only because I am super guilty of it. What I won’t agree to though, is letting terrorists win. No more yeilding for me! Take that Bush. Boo-yah!
You fool pedestrians. Thinking the cross walk is there for your safety. Absolutely, let the car roll through it and since when does stop mean STOP? Obviously, it just means slow down a little.You poor drivers, I feel for you I really do, especially this time of year. It must be one hell of an inconvinience to stop for a pedestrian while you’re trying to drive around town to get your next double – double in your dry, comfortable and warm car.
This insurgency must end. Death to pedestrian terrorists. I declare a pedestrian jihad.
Cars should no be equipped with pedestrian catchers, like the cow-catchers on old trains. Or petrol-consuming flamethrowers maybe.
LOL Miles! So funny, yesterday this same situation happened to me, and I thought “I should bitch about this in the coast” LOLI was driving up a side street and a cab in front of me totally slams on his breaks to stop for a ped. who had just pushed the button at a crosswalk, almost causing an accident! It is ‘sometimes’ safer to travel through the crosswalk. Just like going through a yellow light is sometimes safer than slamming on your breaks! Most walkers understand this and wait for cars to stop before stepping out, and when I’m walking I usually wave cars through if it makes more sence to just let them go, than have them wait for me.
I dont get the OP’s point. His argument is that he doesnt want to stop at crosswalks for people to save the environment. Then his next point is that he is a hypocrite for not taking public transportation. But somehow his original statement is still valid? I dont have a car and i will let cars go in the interest of traffic flow like ppl turning left onto Salter off Barrington for example. But in most cases ill side with Raoul and say that you drivers,who agree with the OP, can calm the fuck down in their warm comfy car and wait for me to cross the street in the freezing cold slush and snow when I have the right of way.
Lori – if you almost rear ended a taxi when he braked at a crosswalk then my dear you are following way too close. Remember you’ll be in the wrong if you don’t leave adequate room between vehicles and have an accident.As for waving cars through the crosswalk… DON’T do it. It confuses the hell out of motorists who then think all pedestrians are going to let the cars pass while trying to cross and the cops can still ticket the car driver for failling to stop since you aren’t a cop and the only ones who can wave cars through stop signs, traffic lights and crosswalks are police or their appointed agents (ie. public works when directed by the police).All you are doing is driving in an unsafe manner and confusing the fuck out of drivers.
I agree… crosswalks are there for a reason and that is for motorists to stop and let pedestrians cross the road… it’s the law… else, why have them.Nonetheless, both should pay attention.
There’s a war on, alright. It’s a war against anything or anyone that impedes the flow of traffic. Cars, like the sacred cows of India, are apparently manifestations of god and are not to be interfered with. Look at the Mumford Rd bus terminal. Pedestrians crossing in the middle of the block. Can’t have that. So rather than spend a hundred bucks on a bucket of paint and a guy to paint a crosswalk where it’s convenient for PEOPLE to cross, the city spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a block-long barrier to force people to cross where it’s convenient for CARS to have them cross. They won’t put a half-light in front of MSVU – where people are injured on a regular basis trying to cross AT the crosswalk – because it would “impede the flow of traffic”. And now we’ve got this asshat bitching about how he shouldn’t have to stop for these insolent pedestrians. Well, fuck you, Mr. Sacred Cow. I don’t worship your god. And all that gas you’re wasting waiting for me to hobble across the street, you can make up for by skipping the drive through, parking your car, and walking into the shop for your double-double.
I’ve been in pain for 7 years because of an accident where we were rear-ended after my mother stopped quickly at a crosswalk where she noticed the ped at the last minute. It ended up being a 4 car pile up and some people in the middle had to be removed from their cars with the ‘jaws of life’. Inattentive drivers and driving too quickly deffinately played a role here…and after 3 years of physio. and 4 years with a chiropractor I curse those who are on cell phones or driving too quickly or too closely, but the facts are that their are idiot drivers everywhere and even good drivers make mistakes and lose concentration at some point, so I still say, if it’s safer to go through the crosswalk….do it!
that is, as long as the pedestrian is still on the sidewalk and not already in the crosswalk……
Good points lori.Also, just because pedestrians have the right of way, they shouldn’t go walking out into the road/crosswalk without looking to see if a car is going to stop. I know this annoys some drivers who don’t like to decelerate until the last moment, but I don’t care. I don’t know if you see me until we make eye contact or you start to slow down.