I was waiting for the red light to change at one of the busiest intersections in town, and this stupid girl (19? young mother?) decided to j-walk across this intersection, taking her sweet old time, and she never even looked for cars coming!! the worst part of this..she had a stroller with a young child. I couldn't believe it. This happens all the time in this town.

 

In Downtown LA people don't know the meaning of sidewalks. They cross wherever the heck they feel like it, and just about everytime I've seen a cop they just let 'em go. I wish they would be more strict about Downtown.

In Alhambra, I've been stopped by cops, when I park opposite my home and cross the street. They question where I'm going, what I'm doing, etc.

Guess it depends on the part of town your in ... oh well

 

"True story" the police arrested one of there own for trying to shoot ( or he claims scare ) a jay walker with 2-3 bullets towards him. Only in Russia , frustrated or maybe the Vodka.

 

Ya, I know all about that, Vegas has one of the highest pedestrian rates. Too many drunks go running across the strip.

 

you got that right. i live here in vegas too. and we have a rule here. if you step out in traffic, it's your fault. the driver usually doesn't even get cited.
as for the stroller comment, i think that is the most irresponsible things ive seen a mother do. guess what mamma, you may need to catch that bus, but risking your child's life to be on time means your priorities are whacked. sorry to rant but this has always bothered me. what about the kids that are left to run ahead of the parents while crossing the street? MAN!!!

 

my mom lives in CA. and she had told me that in CA the pedestrian always has the right of way. well sure enough they will step right out in front of you in the middle of the block. while driving with my mom this happened and i said "what is with this idiot" as i slamed on the brakes so as not to hit him, and i was reminded buy her, "they have the right of way". i said "thats great they can put that on his head stone". it would read "i stepped right in front of 8000 lbs. of glass and steel going 45 mph...but i had the right of way"

 

Great point man, this is the same mentality of some of the yuppies in Northampton, Mass.

 

They may have right of way but they aint got no common sense.

 

I was in England for some time and they like to just walk out in the street with no thought about vehicles bearing down on them. My buddy would get right up close to them and almost bump them before they'd hustle off to the side. He said he would always win in the car.

 

In New Orleans East, some of the morons will actually run across the I-10. At night. Wearing dark clothing. In areas with no street lights. Almost collected one with my late, lamented 1966 Mustang.

I'm doing 65+, keeping up with traffic, when this idiot runs in front of my car, less than a car length ahead! Fortunately, I'm in the right lane, so I had run-off room. I stomped the brake (Granada front disc/rear drums conversion!) and did a 540 across 2 lanes of traffic, finally coming to a stop in the grass.

I sat there and shook like nobody's business for at least 10 minutes. All I kept seeing in my mind's eye was this fool coming through the windshield at 65. A couple of weeks later, another fool got flattened by a semi hauling 2 trailers. SQUISH!

 

lol thats what he gets for trying to beat a semi....you know what i call that.???


FREE PAINT JOB!

Signed,
The Don

 

My dad always told me, "There is a such thing as being dead right." I guess some people's parents forgot to teach them that.

As for where people cross the street--on the straight vs. at the intersection, after having lived in Brazil before, I can tell you that it IS safer to cross somewhere other than the intersection. Why? Because then traffic is only coming at you from TWO directions, not four. But that's still not an excuse to step out in front of something that weighs 20-50 times what you do and is going 45 mph.

Jason

 

At the last olympics there were alot of tourists killed because of the traffic being opposite of here in the US. They said peeps would walk to the curb look left and see no cars and step out into street and WHAM! get nailed by a car coming towards them from the right in the lane they stepped out in. Same for opposite side of street.
It was funny this thread came up because my daughters and I were all talking the other night and they thought it was stupid when I used to make them stop at the curb, say 1 2 3 cross the street. The one we would look one way then on two the other and three a quick glance both ways and if safe it was cross the street. Ash said she is 19 and in college and has caught herself still to this day doing that in her head. My 21 y/o says she does the same thing even when she comes out of wal mart and is now teaching it to her son. They now say it always has stayed close to them. I have always taught them to never jaywalk. It is pointless. The few minutes you save from having to walk to the corner isnt worth photos of your mangled body being seen on rotten.com or having to spend twenty minutes standing there while a police officer writes you a ticket. I think we have all jay walked at one time or another and many have had near misses both a a driver and as a pedestrian. Lets justs be safe and repeat after me 1 2 3 cross the street.