Why do...

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Stryder, Oct 18, 2006.

  1. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

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    13,105
    Why do people never use the crossings at road junctions.

    Just today, I was on my way to the shop to get some food. within 50ft of my door I watch a guy walking across the road first get beeped at by a car since he's in the middle of the road and then hit by a coach.

    The car and the Coach had been sat at traffic lights, which have a crossing, the guy trying to nip across the road did so away from the crossing. I ran to the scene and told people not to move him as you do in such situations, I admittedly didn't make him very comfortable however he was getting fussed over by a bunch of onlookers. He laid on the wet tarmac clenching a pouch of golden virginia tobacco in one and while his other hand was clenched in a one fingered solute.

    It took a few minutes to get the paramedics there, when they arrived they were trying to assess his injuries when the guy decides he's had enough. He stands up while nursing one arm and decides he's got better things to do than be nursemaided by paramedics.

    He was very lucky that the coach wasn't travelling faster or that he didn't actually go under it. I mean the whole windscreen was stoved in where his shoulder had gone, I can only suggest that he was in the process of giving his salute to the car that beeped when he got hit.

    So now the police have my name/address incase they want a statement, to which I'm sure the courts have already posted yet another Warrant for my arrest over unpaid fines, my "doing the right thing" will probably land me in a bunch of shiznit.

    I usually wouldn't mention a normal everyday occurance indepth on sciforums, however I couldn't resist trying to explain to you kiddies... Use the damn crossings.
     
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  3. draqon Banned Banned

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    yes...the world has now changed. Everyone will use the crossings to cross the roads.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2006
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  5. tablariddim forexU2 Valued Senior Member

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    People are generally lazy and stupid, I see them doing this all the time where I live, admittedly we don't have many crossings so I guess they're used to taking chances, but to not walk the extra 20 metres when there Is a crossing, is just mindless.

    The worst is when people actually cross the highway, with seemingly no idea of how quickly a car doing 120km/hour can reach them from 1 km away.
     
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  7. draqon Banned Banned

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    People are not robots to follow every rule there exists.
     
  8. SoLiDUS OMGWTFBBQ Registered Senior Member

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    1,593
    That, and situational awareness beats blindly using a designated crossing area: if you can watch for vehicles from that location, you can easily do so from another. Additionally, if you cross away from intersections, you can clearly see cars coming directly at you as opposed to doing so from an intersection and getting blindsided by some prick who failed to look before turning into the lane.

    Jaywalking is not as stupid as you think.
     
  9. Nickelodeon Banned Banned

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    I totally agree, crossing at intersectons feel more dangerous than further along a road.
     
  10. geodesic "The truth shall make ye fret" Registered Senior Member

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    Actually, I'm with Stryder on this one - just a couple of days ago, I saw some guy almost get run over crossing the road, trying to get out of the lane he thought the car was going to be in and almost running under it before he noticed it had changed lanes.
    I won't claim I always use crossings - if the road is straight and clear, and I can see there's no traffic coming, then I'll cross. But under any other circumstances, I'll use the crossing.
     
  11. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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    Natural selection. I think they should abolish all crossings.
     
  12. Bells Staff Member

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    24,270
    Then those people are also lacking in common sense.

    What gets me is when I see the lazy gits doing it with their little children in tow. I've seen some trying to run across a busy road, holding onto the arms of one or two little kids and just about dragging them since the poor little things can't keep up with them. Or when they try to sprint across pushing a stroller out in front of them.
     
  13. SoLiDUS OMGWTFBBQ Registered Senior Member

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    1,593
    Way to ignore my post, which clearly explains why it's no worse than designated crossing areas. I swear, you people are such selective readers...
     
  14. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    4,969
    as solidus said, its easier to see cars when you are a ways back from the intersection. if theres a designated crossing(where cars must give way to pedestrians) however i will use it.
     
  15. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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    7,658
    Why don't town planners put footbridges over busy intersections? There must be something really bad about this idea that hasn't hit me yet.
     
  16. Roman Banned Banned

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    And speed limits. Everyone should also be issued a side arm.
     
  17. Roman Banned Banned

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  18. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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    Trees? They'd normally be made from steel.

    Or do you mean that they'd be inaesthetic and 'pollute' the local environment? Tough. There are lives at stake here, Roman (sincere stare)!
     
  19. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    4,969
    why not put trees either side of the road with long vines on them. that would promote true survival of the fittest, as the weak would fall into the traffic below.
     
  20. domesticated om Stickler for details Valued Senior Member

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    3,277
    Having not had a car for the majority of my life (long wierd story), I have done my share of non-crosswalking.
    One of the problems I've encountered at some crosswalks is the fact that
    1. It takes longer to get accross the street
    2. You have to deal with traffic coming from more than two directions.
     
  21. RubiksMaster Real eyes realize real lies Registered Senior Member

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    1,646
    Yes, at some intersections where I live, people trying to make a right turn on red don't look for pedestrians in the crosswalk, so you have to literally dodge cars if you don't want to get hit. On the other hand, if I can see what's coming from both sides, and I think it's safe, I will cross in the middle.
     
  22. geodesic "The truth shall make ye fret" Registered Senior Member

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    Drivers in Edinburgh are also rather less than conscientious when it comes to pedestrians and cyclists. It's not that uncommon to see two or three cars drive through red lights, bike lanes might as well not be marked, and I swear some of the bus drivers are out to get pedestrians...
     
  23. Killjoy Propelling The Farce!! Valued Senior Member

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    5,289
    That's the spirit !

    I almost crushed 2 dumb fucks today myself who thought they were going to trundle their sorry arses across the street at any old damn point they wished.

    One of 'em was a mere 20 feet or so from the #@%&!! crosswalk, if you can believe the unmitigated audacity !
    The light turned green as they were crossing Ye Olde Double Yellow Line into my path, and you know what that means !
    (heh)
    Now if they'd been in the crosswalk, I'd have had to let 'em cross by law.
    ( many's the time I've done this, occasionally garnering a rude hoot from some pinhead's horn for my selfless decency... the nerve of some bastards ! )
    But on the open road, it's a whole new ball game, baby !
    That's it !
    That's it !!
    Scamper you friggin' zipperhead !!!
    hee hee hee hee hee !

    Later on some lout seemed to think that the circumstance of a rainstorm in progress gave him the right to sa-shay right across the road like God Emperor of the World to reach some unknown destination... never mind the oncoming traffic !
    (namely your humble narrator)

    Wrong answer, dipshit !

    You'd have thought I'd stolen his last stick of gum by the way he cussed me out for damn near breaking his bones like a gi-normous balpeen hammer !
    And the rude gesture !!
    Why, I never...

    Now, if these poor sub-moronic slobs had had the sense god gave rocks, they might have not only refrained from their irresponsible behavior, but taken the time to note that the semi-modern conveyance I currently pilot has - by and large - a comparatively fragille plastic front end.
    Consequently, the amount of damage their thoroughly worthless carcasses would have caused via impacting it would have not only dampened the joy prompted by snuffing their grotesque existences, but would have caused me to have to purchase new headlights &/or whatnot - which I already know from caving in a deer's cranium with one this past Spring are an outrageously expensive item.
    (goddam things ! at least the woodchucks just clunk merrily off some unknown portion of the vehicle's underside and boink along for a bit in one's wake until they flop into a spiffy death-pose for the next fellow to run over and splatter into a bloody mess...)

    Oh, for the good old Ford Econoline van I used to have !

    Wot' a monster !

    The nice, thick, beefy-like steel bumper on that sucker would most likely snap a man in half without even denting...

    It's mighty power plant roaring like the breath of ten million rampaging devils...
    (did I mention the muffler was kinda fukked ?)

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    Plus, the cab was high enough to look down on these would-be jaywalking bastards like some Psychopathic Demon-Judge of the Apocalypse...

    Moo Hoo HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...!!!!!
    Here come da Judge, you dumb fucks !

    Those were the days !

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