I'm usually pretty courteous to pedestrians, but it's people like I am about to describe that sometimes ticks me off.

I pull up to a big street wanting to make a right into it. I stop at the light, behind the crosswalk, slowly edging my car out, a mountain-Italian-Fabio-Look-A-Like dude and his hippie gf walks by my car and slaps my trunk and says some stupid crap and gives me the thumbs up. I so smile at his dumb @ss and gives him the thumbs up.

Had these ppl gotten close enough for me to see they were coming, I wouldn't edge out. I highly doubt he's never done what I did, so who is he to talk smack to me about not knowing how to drive. It's perfectly legal for me to make a right on a red if there are no oncoming cars.

I just wish peds know they don't own the freakin' road. Drivers always get a bad rep for doing little things while peds think they can walk in any direction or do anything and get away with it. It's not to say I am a perfect ped, but I understand it from a driver's pov too.

 

My dad crosses the road without looking at stop signs and places with yield to ped signs and a cross walk but no lights. I always tell my dad, the car is harder than the humans.

Ped dont always get first priority, when they act like they own the road and the driver didn't see them coming, guess who win.

I just put up with them, maybe one day, they will get to be a hood ornament since they want to jay walk or walk out in the middle of the road without looking.

Colleges are the worst. I almost road kill 3 of my school mates today cuz they love to cross the road, no where near street signs or lights, with their headphones on while texting!!!!!

 

Pedestrians always have the right of way... End of story.

As for the guy hitting your car, that's a different stroy... no need for that. that's liable to get you shot depending on where you live.

 

Do they really?

Dang that means I can practice my jedi lighting reflex and then jump out on the highway and get lightly clipped and sue the driver and the government for millions of dollars lol.

 

So, am I understanding correctly that the short version of the story is that you were stopped in a crosswalk at a red light, waiting for an opening to make a right?

 

I've had couple run ins with jaywalkers...but there was this one guy who jaywalked, and I totally have no respect for them and I usually just zip by them. So then this guys started waving his arms like I'm supposed to stop for him...So I did, I rolled down my windows and said, "F*** you" and went on to whatever it was I was doing

mind you I was pretty pissed off that day, but yeah pedestrian don't seem to realize that metal > flesh

 

I'm going to go with the guess that what was meant is that as a driver, it's not a bad rule of thumb to act as if the pedestrian always has right of way.

Kind of like the customer always being right.

Jedi jumping onto the highway with the intent of being hit don't count.

 

Unless you are down south in Tijuana. Drivers have the right of way, I wish they had that law here in the US too.

 

I hate it when people walk their sweet *** time when the pedestrian light says No Crossing. Then they look at you and talk smack.
The other day I was walking out of campus to get something to eat. There was this SUV that was trying to make a right, his light was green. Then there's this girl who was crossing and her light was "no crossing". The SUV's light turned yellow and he started creeping up closer and closer while this girl takes her sweet *** time. While she passes the SUV, she said something like "wtf you tryna do, kill me or sumthin?!" I just wanted to smack that girl right there and then. If only I could drop her off in Asia, let's see who will survive then.

 

Actually, I don't know if peds always have the right of way. Peds have their own set of rules too, (ie. jaywalking, etc). I hear that if you jaywalk and depending on the situation, and get hit, the ped is actually liable. I doubt walking on a red light is considered legal lol.

But in short, my story is, I stopped on a red wanting to make a right, i edge out (as a result blocking the crosswalk), guy goes around my car, slaps my trunk, talks smack, I talk smack back and we go about our business.

In all the years I've driven in San Francisco, most people respect the drivers because they are drivers themselves. But there are always a few who will just keep on walking in hopes of being clipped by a car to collect on your insurance.

 

I see what you're saying and i'm cool with that as long as your view of the on-coming pedestrians was blocked by cars to the left. I hate the drivers who don't even attempt to stop at the white line and just roll up to the corner blocking the whole crosswalk as a group of pedestrians are trying to cross.

I had a situation crossing the other day where I stepped out with a green walk sign and a Hummer took the right turn wide from behind me on my left to try to beat me through the turn, he got close enough that I could smack his car with my hockey stick. He continued a little bit then slammed on his brakes and said something back at me, I just waived him on over and kept walking, he drove off.

 

I know a CHIC that has killed two pedestrians while in college and got off both times....

 

I always try to be respectful and courteous to pedestrians - the human
body doesn't stand a chance against a 3,000+ metal vehicle.

There are times however that people amaze me. They'll come out
of the supermarket with an armful of groceries and not even glance
to see if parking lot traffic is there. Fortunately I always pay attention,
but many drivers do not (driving can actually interfere with that cell phone
conversation, I guess).

Eye contact is the key.

Also, I appreciate when people stop to let me cross the parking lot or street,
but how about coming to a COMPLETE STOP when doing so? When people
slow and do that 5mph crawl I can't tell if they are letting me cross or
lining me up so they can get a better shot at me...

 

We kids were taught to "respect" the moving vehicle and always let it go by first. Then you know its safe to cross. And when you cross, get the heck over to the other side quickly, lest some idiot not looking blows through the intersection.
And at night, you REALLY need to let the cars go by first, cause they cant see people at night for nothing.
Once, we saw a lady crossing on a green light across Ft. Worth Blvd, in Dallas, Oak Cliff suburb, when a drunk dumba$$ blew the intersection and nailed her throwing her up into the air probably10-15ft. She landed on her head and it cracked open like a cantaloupe.
Seeing something like that happen right in front of you makes a believer about letting the idiots in vehicles go first.
Now, if they stop and motion you on, then its ok to go, but dont, dont, take your time - there is traffic backed up behind them, that is also waiting, right?
DanF

 

dude one time i was at an outdoor mall and people were trying to turn, and a fat group of @sshole bikers (like bicycle not motorbike) start circling around the guy while hes in the middle of the street stuck and then the guy gets off his bike and starts yelling at the driver and like smacking his car and stuff and cussing at him for NO reason, i felt sorry for the old man driver lol...fortunately i came back an hour after shopping and saw the whole group frowning at the tickets the cops were giving them one of those moments where you gotta love the cops