BlancoNino
Diamond Member
I was watching a new report last night about how a Seattle pedestrian got killed, and that Seattle's number one priority this year is going to be pedestrian safety. The report went on to talk about how unacceptable the drivers are, which sort of pissed me off.
First off, I believe that drivers should stop at crosswalks, be alert for pedestrians, and do everything they can to keep pedestrians safe.
But what about pedestrians? What's the real first line of defense? The first line of defense is to LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING AND KEEP LOOKING! If every pedestrian was alert enough to not just glance both ways and then waltz out into the road thinking "la-de-da, cars have to stop for me, because I'm so great!", then pedestrians wouldn't die. That's the first line of defense...looking both ways.
Look, drivers have to worry about cars in front of them, behind them, being in the right lane, potential collisions from other cars, checking their speedometer to make sure they ar driving the proper speed, and countless other dangerous things. Pedestrians have to worry about one thing: Not getting hit. Often times, there are cars parked next to crosswalks, so that nobody can see if somebody is crossing the street, and a pedestrian will come out into the street unseen until he's almost in the line of traffic.
Sometimes I wonder why we never punish pedestrians for reckless behavior. I was riding with my dad in a larger city nearby, and a lady decided to cross a busy street out of nowhere at no crosswalk. My dad had to slam on his brakes and come to a complete hault, and the lady simply just gave us the finger after we locked our brakes up. Yes, true story...she gave us the finger after we slammed on the brakes and came to a sudden screeching hault so she could cross the street unexpectedly where there is no crosswalk. This is the type of pedestrian we have created...one where they think they are above the road.
Well, I will tell you one thing. No matter how many fscking laws and punishments we slap on the drivers for endangering pedestrians, the pedestrians still have a lot more to lose: their life. So please, stop all of this nonsense, quit trying to make pedestrians "feel safer" with new laws and regulations, and tell them to look both ways. It's the only 100% gauranteed method, and it sure saves a hell of a lot stress on the drivers.
First off, I believe that drivers should stop at crosswalks, be alert for pedestrians, and do everything they can to keep pedestrians safe.
But what about pedestrians? What's the real first line of defense? The first line of defense is to LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING AND KEEP LOOKING! If every pedestrian was alert enough to not just glance both ways and then waltz out into the road thinking "la-de-da, cars have to stop for me, because I'm so great!", then pedestrians wouldn't die. That's the first line of defense...looking both ways.
Look, drivers have to worry about cars in front of them, behind them, being in the right lane, potential collisions from other cars, checking their speedometer to make sure they ar driving the proper speed, and countless other dangerous things. Pedestrians have to worry about one thing: Not getting hit. Often times, there are cars parked next to crosswalks, so that nobody can see if somebody is crossing the street, and a pedestrian will come out into the street unseen until he's almost in the line of traffic.
Sometimes I wonder why we never punish pedestrians for reckless behavior. I was riding with my dad in a larger city nearby, and a lady decided to cross a busy street out of nowhere at no crosswalk. My dad had to slam on his brakes and come to a complete hault, and the lady simply just gave us the finger after we locked our brakes up. Yes, true story...she gave us the finger after we slammed on the brakes and came to a sudden screeching hault so she could cross the street unexpectedly where there is no crosswalk. This is the type of pedestrian we have created...one where they think they are above the road.
Well, I will tell you one thing. No matter how many fscking laws and punishments we slap on the drivers for endangering pedestrians, the pedestrians still have a lot more to lose: their life. So please, stop all of this nonsense, quit trying to make pedestrians "feel safer" with new laws and regulations, and tell them to look both ways. It's the only 100% gauranteed method, and it sure saves a hell of a lot stress on the drivers.
