PEDESTRIANS!!! Stop acting like squirrels!!!!!!!!

[glhs837]

Please. Cars do this a bit, but pedestrians, at shopping venues mostly, are just plain maddening. A few pointers to make your pedestrianing i bit more enjoyable, and safer.

1. LOOK!!!! Really, those crosshatched lines are not a forcefield, magically repelling cars. 4,000lbs of car, even going 10mph, takes a few feet to stop, and whiplashing my pasengers isnt a fun thing.

2. TELEGRAPH your future movements. Don't rush the roadway, then stop and start a phone call. If you dont plan to cross immediately, stop a few feet short, make it plain to cars that you wont be crossing right away. Make eye contact with vehicles, so we know you are aware of us.

3. CROSS the roadway directly!!!!! The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and the less time you spend in the roadway, the less time you inconvenience others. these long angling paths triple the amount of time that folks have to wait for you, and thats not right.

4. CORRAL your herd. Manage your children, please, for their safety and our peace of mind. Getting halfway across, only to find that Little Jimmy (5) let go of Little Janes (7) hand, and having to go back and round them up, again, not right.

The point, just like my traffic rants, is that a little forethought and courtesy just makes life better for everyone.

Oh, and when you walk back to your car, stay close to the cars, not spread out across the lane.

 

[hvp05]

4,000lbs of car

What kind of tank are you driving?

 

[Katelin]

Please. Cars do this a bit, but pedestrians, at shopping venues mostly, are just plain maddening. A few pointers to make your pedestrianing i bit more enjoyable, and safer.

1. LOOK!!!! Really, those crosshatched lines are not a forcefield, magically repelling cars. 4,000lbs of car, even going 10mph, takes a few feet to stop, and whiplashing my pasengers isnt a fun thing.

2. TELEGRAPH your future movements. Don't rush the roadway, then stop and start a phone call. If you dont plan to cross immediately, stop a few feet short, make it plain to cars that you wont be crossing right away. Make eye contact with vehicles, so we know you are aware of us.

3. CROSS the roadway directly!!!!! The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and the less time you spend in the roadway, the less time you inconvenience others. these long angling paths triple the amount of time that folks have to wait for you, and thats not right.

4. CORRAL your herd. Manage your children, please, for their safety and our peace of mind. Getting halfway across, only to find that Little Jimmy (5) let go of Little Janes (7) hand, and having to go back and round them up, again, not right.

The point, just like my traffic rants, is that a little forethought and courtesy just makes life better for everyone.

Oh, and when you walk back to your car, stay close to the cars, not spread out across the lane.

One way to thin out the population.....5 points per stupid idot who cant cross an open space..10 points if they are texting while walking!

 

[glhs837]

What kind of tank are you driving?

Not a tank, just a Charger I did round down, its 4300 or better loaded Most folks have no idea what their vehicle weighs, though.

 

[aps45819]

What kind of tank are you driving?

That's typical these days

My Mazda MX-5 is 2500 lbs and it's one of the lightest cars on the road

 

[glhs837]

Hmm, dont know about "typical". Most cars fall below that. Discounting 5,000lb SUVs and pickups, passengers cars usually range from 3100lbs (Neon and that sort) up to the 3500-3700lb range for your mid size sedans. The Charger does fit in with other cars in the size class, though, the E-Class it was based on, the 5 series, Cadillacs DTS and Ford Taurus.

The Miata is an outlier

 

[aps45819]

Chevy Malibu, 3432
Camry, 3483
Explorer, 4509
Dodge Caravan, 4483
Ford F150, 5,048 - 5,270 (depending on cab)


4,000 lbs is probably close to the average weight of a vehicle around here

 

[Pushrod]

That goes both way glh, vehicles driving in parking areas need to slow their @sses down and watch out for pedestrians. I don't know how many times I'm carrying my infant son and I am half way across the throughway and some idiot in a car comes racing through barely missing us. Remember, pedestrians have the right of way!

But, as you have said, I see alot of idiot pedestrians to who don't bother looking before crossing or will walk leasurely down the middle of the throughway, so their are idiots on both sides of the steering wheel.

 

[limblips]

Please. Cars do this a bit, but pedestrians, at shopping venues mostly, are just plain maddening. A few pointers to make your pedestrianing i bit more enjoyable, and safer.

1. LOOK!!!! Really, those crosshatched lines are not a forcefield, magically repelling cars. 4,000lbs of car, even going 10mph, takes a few feet to stop, and whiplashing my pasengers isnt a fun thing.

2. TELEGRAPH your future movements. Don't rush the roadway, then stop and start a phone call. If you dont plan to cross immediately, stop a few feet short, make it plain to cars that you wont be crossing right away. Make eye contact with vehicles, so we know you are aware of us.

3. CROSS the roadway directly!!!!! The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and the less time you spend in the roadway, the less time you inconvenience others. these long angling paths triple the amount of time that folks have to wait for you, and thats not right.

4. CORRAL your herd. Manage your children, please, for their safety and our peace of mind. Getting halfway across, only to find that Little Jimmy (5) let go of Little Janes (7) hand, and having to go back and round them up, again, not right.

The point, just like my traffic rants, is that a little forethought and courtesy just makes life better for everyone.

Oh, and when you walk back to your car, stay close to the cars, not spread out across the lane.

And don't do the baggy pants saunter shuffle when crossing! Move you a$$!

 

[tomtom]

Yesterday while going south on 5 in charlotte hall, there was a black guy in the median trying to cross 5. He was no more than 30-40 feet from the light, but that was too hard to walk there to the crosswalk evidently, so he just kept looking for a break in traffic. Saw him run out in the road a couple times and then run back to the median before I got to him, when I passed him, he was still doing the same thing.

 

[hvp05]

Not a tank, just a Charger I did round down, its 4300 or better loaded Most folks have no idea what their vehicle weighs, though.

I'm in a mid-size SUV at 4800; I did think it was less. I think when I read "car", the impression was something much smaller at that weight.

 

[ftcret]

Are you making eye contact with my car? Which eye?

 

[jg21]

I get so irritated when the news makes a big deal out of a person getting hit in the road or while walking on the train tracks. I firmly believe that anyone over the age of 5 who gets hit by a car or train while walking has only himself to blame 100% of the time.

 

[MrZ06]

Most folks have no idea what their vehicle weighs, though.

My Z06 weighs 3200 lbs.

 

[MrZ06]

This reminds me of a classic video. Man get hit by icream truck while trying to Dougie across the street.

YouTube - Man Gets Hit By Ice Cream Truck Ice Cream Man Van Halen

 

[Sweet 16]

That goes both way glh, vehicles driving in parking areas need to slow their @sses down and watch out for pedestrians. I don't know how many times I'm carrying my infant son and I am half way across the throughway and some idiot in a car comes racing through barely missing us. Remember, pedestrians have the right of way!

But, as you have said, I see alot of idiot pedestrians to who don't bother looking before crossing or will walk leasurely down the middle of the throughway, so their are idiots on both sides of the steering wheel.

Yes but.....with every right comes responsibility. Most people seem to forget that part of the equation or think they can abdicate that responsibility just because they're 'special'. Just because you are a pedestrian doesn't give you the right to stand or dart out into traffic!

 

[dave1959]

I may be wrong, and that did happen once, I believe that pedestrians only have the right of way in a marked crosswalk.. in an unmarked crosswalk cars have the right of way.
..

 

[glhs837]

Chevy Malibu, 3432
Camry, 3483
Explorer, 4509
Dodge Caravan, 4483
Ford F150, 5,048 - 5,270 (depending on cab)


4,000 lbs is probably close to the average weight of a vehicle around here

Note I did say "discounting SUVs and trucks". Folks just need to pay attention and minimize their impact on others, that really all it is.

 

[hotmomma]

And don't do the baggy pants saunter shuffle when crossing! Move you a$$!

It seems like everyone around here does that. You dont have to run across the road but you dont have to tip toe either.

 

[mitzi]

I get so irritated when the news makes a big deal out of a person getting hit in the road or while walking on the train tracks. I firmly believe that anyone over the age of 5 who gets hit by a car or train while walking has only himself to blame 100% of the time.

I get so irritated with drivers while trying to cross the intersection in Leonardtown when I have the blinking person on the pole telling me it's okay to cross. You have to still watch for the "right turn on red" cars & cross at your own risk.