Suicidal pedestrians

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I was doing a pick up in the 9,000 pound van I drive for work in downtown Portland, I had a nice string of green lights ahead and was cruising along at the posted speed limit of 30mph. Some guy on foot decided he was far too important to wait for the light to change so he could cross and decided to casually walk out into the street. He made eye contact with me before stepping out and I didn't slow or anything but he decided to keep on going. It wasn't until I was half way through the intersection that the 40 watt light bulb that must have been the center of his cognitive and reasoning abilities came on and made him stop. I never broke eye contact with him and boy did he look like I had just committed an unforgivable crime against his sense of entitlement.
Sorry for the rant but pedestrians around downtown Portland are awful. Any other place with dumb pedestrians? I'd imagine they're pretty common.
 
Three days ago. Pedestrian walking on the sidewalk makes an abrupt 90 degrees, and steps onto the crossing, in front of an oncoming car.
No eye contact nothing.

I see the car hit the brakes, and the car behind do likewise, but still rear end the car that stopped for the pedestrian.

I gave my name etc. to the drivers.
I have not had a call as of yet.
 
Most of the pedestrians in downtown Portland, are usually so far spun out on drugs, it's funny. I had em walking down the middle of the street, with that 1000 mile stare. This was down where all the food carts are all around the block.
 
Originally Posted By: slowdime
I was doing a pick up in the 9,000 pound van I drive for work in downtown Portland, I had a nice string of green lights ahead and was cruising along at the posted speed limit of 30mph. Some guy on foot decided he was far too important to wait for the light to change so he could cross and decided to casually walk out into the street. He made eye contact with me before stepping out and I didn't slow or anything but he decided to keep on going. It wasn't until I was half way through the intersection that the 40 watt light bulb that must have been the center of his cognitive and reasoning abilities came on and made him stop. I never broke eye contact with him and boy did he look like I had just committed an unforgivable crime against his sense of entitlement.
Sorry for the rant but pedestrians around downtown Portland are awful. Any other place with dumb pedestrians? I'd imagine they're pretty common.


In my neck of the woods....a certain ethnicity feels it perfectly fine to walk across the street anyplace they so choose. If you don't slam on your breaks or if you get close to them.....you get a look like "I dare you to hit me".

Happens to me very frequently.
 
I think this applies anywhere in the country in different ways depending if it's urban, suburban, or rural. Metro area pedestrians have the "entitlement" mentality because they're dealing with cars in close confines, bicycles ( often times more entitlement ) and having to wait three minutes at every light/crosswalk while they have to walk 10 blocks to their destination. There's dumb and there's dumb...

I look at it as a quality of life issue to some degree because if if I have to dodge bikes, red light runners, uber drivers who make cabbies look like passive-aggressive 98 pound weaklings, and assorted urban issues that impact pedestrians, you have to really enjoy living like that.

San Francisco is horrible mostly because it's a mash-up of Gold Rush-era street alignments and more modern layouts mixed with techie schnoids who never look up up from their phones when they walk, talk, cross the street, or step off any curb. A lot of pedestrian entitlement mixed with wide bike lanes ( engendering entitlement and chance taking from bicyclists ) in core downtown streets. I've actually found that the homeless are some of the most law-abiding pedestrians with or without the shopping cart.
 
Getting hit by a car means you visit the personal injury shyster of
your choice - based on the most "trustworthy" TV ad you just saw and at some point if the security cameras don't clearly show you jaywalking .... get money to buy some more dope.
 
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I don't mind pedestrians when they follow the laws just as I do when I drive. If someone's waiting to cross at a marked crosswalk I'll stop and let them go. But walking out into the road when you know you shouldn't is not only incredibly rude and selfish, but also dangerous. Any idea on what would happen legally if a pedestrian is hit while crossing a road when they shouldn't be?

I think being in a vehicle kind of depersonalizes people to a degree. I mean, how often do you see people cutting each other off and having 'cart rage' in a grocery store?
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Miami Beach as tourists think cars must stop for pedestrians.


What does Florida law say on that?

In many jurisdictions, motorists MUST YIELD to pedestrians in a crosswalk. You'll get a ticket here in Vermont, if you, as a motorist, fail to yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk by coming to a complete stop.

Now, if there is a signal, then that is different, and many pedestrians are unable to distinguish between those two situations, or are unable to determine what constitutes jaywalking...
 
Not quite similar, but sort of related:

I took a tour of a Toyota Camry plant a few weeks ago. Vehicles inside had the right away. After working in a much smaller warehouse where pedestrians have the right away, I preferred this method much more. People actually watched where they went and paid attention.

This actually changes nothing for the considerate people because they value their life and are courteous to others which is essential in a successful society..
 
I yield to all pedestrians because the resulting legal and emotional mess from hitting one is simply NOT worth it in any possible scenario.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Maybe those Hispanics can't read English signs about cross walks and no jay walking allowed.



Not a single individual that has casually walked in front of my car was of hispanic origin.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Maybe those Hispanics can't read English signs about cross walks and no jay walking allowed.



Not a single individual that has casually walked in front of my car was of hispanic origin.


They're usually too lazy to walk anywhere..
 
Originally Posted By: Doog
I yield to all pedestrians because the resulting legal and emotional mess from hitting one is simply NOT worth it in any possible scenario.


Good way of putting it.

Despite what I said in my previous post, I too do this even if they are inconsiderate. Just wish they would think!

Hence the reason for this thread.
smile.gif
 
can we stop throwing out racial stereotypes?

I could say the same about white black brown red or yellow people.

Some people are trash and some arent.

for example around here most of the mexican types are the lawn care hard working type.

Obviously this varies by area but stereotyping inst really accurate.
 
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Originally Posted By: andrewg
In my neck of the woods....a certain ethnicity feels it perfectly fine to walk across the street anyplace they so choose. If you don't slam on your breaks or if you get close to them.....you get a look like "I dare you to hit me".

Happens to me very frequently.


You need to downshift,floor it,and make the world a better place.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
can we stop throwing out racial stereotypes?

I could say the same about white black brown red or yellow people.

Some people are trash and some arent.

for example around here most of the mexican types are the lawn car hard working type.

Obviously this varies by area but stereotyping inst really accurate.


Thank you! I made no mention of race in my initial post, but to clear it up he was a white, smug looking trust-fundian.

Being an inconsiderate jerk is a trait that is truly color blind.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: andrewg
In my neck of the woods....a certain ethnicity feels it perfectly fine to walk across the street anyplace they so choose. If you don't slam on your breaks or if you get close to them.....you get a look like "I dare you to hit me".

Happens to me very frequently.


You need to downshift,floor it,and make the world a better place.


Ha ha ha....tempting perhaps....but I'll refrain.
 
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