Crosswalks

[tboy]

Just thought I'd post this sad story about an 11 yr old that was killed at a crosswalk.

Just thought I'd add that for those of you who use crosswalks and have kids, make sure you realize that a) you have to actually PUSH the button to make the lights flash and b) an invisible force field of protection doesn't come down between the lines and c) the highway traffic act states that while a vehicle has to stop at crosswalks while the lights are flashing or a pedestrian is crossing but only if it can be done safely. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone push that friggin button then directly step off the curb right in front of me.

I remember the old days they used to paint on the sidewalk at every crosswalk: stop, look, point.....

 

[Rising Sun]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

As a driver for 20+ years, crosswalks still freak me out. I'm absolutely paranoid when I approach one, always thinking that someone may run out with their force field on.

Thanks for the thought of the day.

 

[booboobear]

safely. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone push that friggin button then directly step off the curb right in front of me.

I remember the old days they used to paint on the sidewalk at every crosswalk: stop, look, point.....

I drive past that cross walk every day. I would suggest if you approach a crosswalk and you see someone close to it it's likely they are going to cross so don't be surprised. Be prepared to stop .

 

[TheNiteHwk]

There are also drivers as well... that could stop very safely and don't. I can't tell you how many times I use this one crosswalk up on Dupont near St. George there. Press the button, look both ways, stick hand out, wave etc... Cars a full 1/2 block away could easily stop... but instead they actually speed up sometimes.

One driver got a rude awakening one night. A friend of mine who is a roofer and built like a football player almost got hit there. My friend gave him the finger as he was speeding through the crosswalk. The dumb idiot stopped and got out of his car to confront my friend. Before he could say boo... he was eating cement. <LOL>

 

[red]

its amazing the number of drivers who will drive through a crosswalk as someone is crossing

 

[A-ROD]

The people using the crosswalk have to remember that the driver may not see them.
I know they should see them and that the pedestrian has the right of way;
But explain that to God when you are dead... Lord I had the right of way...

I see people regulary sticking out their hand and start into the roadway immediately... Please people..ensure the driver has seen you.

All that said it is very sad that the little girl was run over and the driver has shown some remorse. He will have to live with this for the rest of his life

 

[booboobear]

The people using the crosswalk have to remember that the driver may not see them.
I know they should see them and that the pedestrian has the right of way;
But explain that to God when you are dead... Lord I had the right of way...

I see people regulary sticking out their hand and start into the roadway immediately... Please people..ensure the driver has seen you.

([/QU

If you scan the area around the crosswalk as you approach it's pretty hard to miss someone. Also slowing down would help but most drivers do neither.
I understand the driver will be charged.

 

[booboobear]

especially when it's dark....dont they teach kids to make eye contact with the drivers before crossing the road....

Never never expect a kid todo what they should , if you see anyone near the line at a cross walk you hould slow down or stop 99.9 % of the time they ar ecrossing . If they are just standing there like an idiot then you won't be responsible for killing them.

 

[Daddio]

The most disturbing thing to me was the commentary from the community that they had long known this crossing was a problem. So what parent knew ofthis problem and yet allowed their kid to cross this known problem unaccompanied or uninformed?

Also... drivers rarely if ever obey crosswalks. One of the main rules is that all traffic stops in all lanes until the crossing is complete. Seems unnecessary but it clues in other approaching drivers in other lanes. But most people will proceed as soon as the pedestrian has cleared their own lane. As a pedestrian who needs extra time to cross it makes me want to hurl a brick at their windshield.

 

[tboy]

While I agree there are a lot of idiot drivers out there who don't stop and actually speed up. yes they are wrong, VERY wrong for doing it but as a pedestrian, 2000 lbs of steel will make hamburger out of you so ALWAYS be on guard when crossing a street.....

Sure the pedestrian has the right of way, but not always! That's the problem, when you're walking that thought is running through your mind but as I said, just because you're walking and push that button, a force field doesn't automatically protect you.

In addition, this is a BIG problem with my truck (F150) the front pillars are so wide that I lose about 15% of my view angle. I always try to shift forward and back to look around them but even then I can miss things. One time I was coming down my driveway ramp, looked both ways, shifted forward and back and it just so happened a skinny asian chick was walking at just the right speed to remain hidden by my driver's pillar and I bet when I hit the brakes that she wasn't 6" from my left front fender. Man was she pissed and even gave me the finger. I rolled down the window and said "I'm really sorry, but you ALSO have to look where you're going".....

BTW< if you don't know, that's called SA or situational awareness....

 

[TheNiteHwk]

<quote>One of the main rules is that all traffic stops in all lanes until the crossing is complete.<quote>


As far as I know this is the law. At least that's what I was told when I took a drivers ed course 30 some years ago. You must wait till the crosswalk is completely clear before driving on.

 

[jwmorrice]

I've been told that on driving tests, when approaching a cross-walk, you are expected to have your foot hovering over the brake pedal.

jwm

 

[booboobear]

<quote>One of the main rules is that all traffic stops in all lanes until the crossing is complete.<quote>


As far as I know this is the law. At least that's what I was told when I took a drivers ed course 30 some years ago. You must wait till the crosswalk is completely clear before driving on.

That was the law I have been driving that long to . I wonder now with these divivded cross wlaks if it still is . I do know with divided crosswalks 99 % of people just wait till their side is clear.

 

[The Bandit]

Mississauga doesn't believe in lighted crosswalks, and doesn't have any. they would rather put a traffic light instead.
I did notice just last week that on Albion, west of Kipling there used to be a lighted crosswalk. They have now changed it to a traffic light, even though it is not a roadway, it lets people cross from the Albion Centre(formerly Shoppers World Albion) to the Library across the street.

 

[james t kirk]

On a related note,

Today, I was making a right from Parklawn southbound to Queensway Westbound on the red.

The traffic was spotty, i.e. the right lane on Queensway Westbound may have been empty, but the centre lane was being travelled. I am stopped on the red, waiting for traffic to clear.

I always wait for BOTH lanes to be clear when making the right on the red because guys in the centre lane may decide to switch lanes into the curb lane. You can never assume that they will hold their course, even across the interesection. (To assume that they are going to hold their lane is dumb, further more, if you make the right into the curb lane when a guy is going thru on the centre lane, you totally freak that guy out.)

There is this FUCKING BITCH behind me in a Lexas SUV honking her horn at me to go.

Fuck you and your lexas lady.

Then two nannies with 2 babies in strollers each decide to cross parklawn, so I wait for them.

Bitch is now laying on the horn (must be in a hurry to get to Holt Renfrew at Sherway and fire up the old man's credit card)

So I wait for the ladies with the 4 babies.

She's laying on the horn steady.

Then, the baby ladies do a dumb thing. They cross the road, and now want to cross the queensway on my right side, but they don't get on the sidewalk, they wait on the asphalt at the apex of the sidewalks.

Again, bitch from hell is on the horn.

Now add to this that at this point the light for Queensway westbound has turned read, but for Parklawn Northbound, there is an advance green and people are making the left, so you have to wait.

The thing about turning right on a red is that you are supposed to STOP. You do not have the right of way under any circumstances, you may only turn right when no-one is proceeding thru on the green, when no-one is utilizing the crosswalk, when no-one is turning on an advance green. But I have to get the horn from stupid c&nt in big SUV who thinks she's a good driver. God, sometimes I wish I was a cop.

So I get out of my car and walk back to lexas bitch's car and ask her if she wants me to run the two ladies with the four babies over? She starts in about how I can turn on the red. I tell her to fuck right off, quote unquote. As I am walking away, she's on the horn again.

My point of this is that some people are fucking idiots when the drive. They have one thing on their mind. Themselves. They figure that THEY NEED to get where THEY are going and anything that slows them in that persuit is strictly an obsticle and should be treated as such Like the bitch behind me in the Lexas, or the assholes who speed through cross walks when someone is using it.

If you hit someone, you will regret it for the rest of your life and all you will think will be what would 20 seconds have cost me?

 

[tboy]

James: YOu have more paitience than me...for one thing, I would have gotten out and told the nannies to get the fuck off the road, then I would have gotten back in my truck, put it in reverse, and give the Beotch a nudge....

That is a MAJOR peeve of mine, when pedestrians stay on the road intead of getting up on the curb. I gave within an inch of clipping a bicyclist once or twice for doing that....and yelled out the window at them as I was driving past "get off the fucking road asshole..." (mostly it is guys that do this).

 

[baci2004]

If you are over the age of 12, under the age of 60, without a stroller, and have no physical handicap you deserve to be run over at a crosswalk. J - walk like everyone else!!

Why is it that crosswalks have flashing amber lights instead of red??

 

[1HandInMyPocket]

okay, to open the subject a bit more.

1. Stop signs does NOT mean do a rolling stop. Got hit many of times when I had the right of way. I'm ALREADY half way across the intersection when some drivers decide to go forward, one lady (coffee in one hand) was still going forwarded when I was in front of her.

2. When making a right hand turn and you have a stop sign or the red light you still stop. I'm crossing the road and people still do the slow down to make a turn but don't look out for the pedestrian move. Tried to follow one lady to a Starbucks parking lot (on foot to confront her) but couldn't find her.

 

[james t kirk]

James: YOu have more paitience than me...for one thing, I would have gotten out and told the nannies to get the fuck off the road, then I would have gotten back in my truck, put it in reverse, and give the Beotch a nudge....

That is a MAJOR peeve of mine, when pedestrians stay on the road intead of getting up on the curb. I gave within an inch of clipping a bicyclist once or twice for doing that....and yelled out the window at them as I was driving past "get off the fucking road asshole..." (mostly it is guys that do this).

Believe me, it was irritating that they didn't climb the curb, but I think it was the stroller with 2 kids in each thing.

That **** behind me though was a real piece of work though. As I said, she had to wait all of 1 minute. If I had of pushed my luck and got clipped at the interestion, she would have been the first one telling the cops it was my fault that I didn't wait.

 

[benn]

The problem is there are lot of people doesn't know how to drive, there are also alot of pedestrians that careless.

The problem with most crosswalks when a car stops people would walk but there are dumb mofo drivers that would continue driving. either in the opposite direction or the blind side