4 ms·

I do the same, but will walk as if I'm about to (as long as I'm in a crosswalk, where drivers are supposed to yield to pedestrians). I can stop walking way fast

I do the same, but will walk as if I'm about to (as long as I'm in a crosswalk, where drivers are supposed to yield to pedestrians). I can stop walking way faster than drivers can stop their cars, so they basically have to lose the game of "chicken" or be willing to run over pedestrians in crosswalks. Only once they've visually committed themselves to stopping do I take that last step into the path of the vehicle. It's a little douchy, but goddamnit, California law says I've got right-of-way in crosswalks. When you're holding a mutex, what you do is get rid of it ASAP and get out of the way.

WildUtah 11y ago
Nothing douchey about it. Car drivers are taking an enormous amount of public resources and endangering the public while they do it. They can wait a few seconds so that you don't have to wait indefinitely for them in crosswalks.
dtparr 11y ago
Your right-of-way/mutex metaphor is outstanding. I'm going to be stealing that for this and other physical-space-occupying race conditions.
crusso 11y ago
"California law says I've got right-of-way in crosswalks" That's for the safety of the pedestrian in order to avoid confusion and make liability strictly fall on the shoulders of the party with the 2 killing machine. Regardless of my legal right-of-way, though, I try not to be a jerk about it.
- ThrustVectoring 11y ago
  If you're about to cross a crosswalk, you're contributing to the attentional noise that drivers have to deal with. IMHO, just get out of the way so that fewer people have to make sure that they aren't going to hit you.
  - crusso 11y ago
    I generally agree that doing a dance entering the crosswalk is unhelpful, but there are lots of cases where you can stand back and wait to enter the crosswalk in order to avoid making a car slam on its breaks.
    - dublinben 11y ago
      >making a car slam on its breaks If you need to "slam" on your breaks to let a pedestrian cross, you are driving too fast.

WildUtah 11y ago

Nothing douchey about it. Car drivers are taking an enormous amount of public resources and endangering the public while they do it. They can wait a few seconds so that you don't have to wait indefinitely for them in crosswalks.

dtparr 11y ago

Your right-of-way/mutex metaphor is outstanding. I'm going to be stealing that for this and other physical-space-occupying race conditions.

crusso 11y ago

"California law says I've got right-of-way in crosswalks" That's for the safety of the pedestrian in order to avoid confusion and make liability strictly fall on the shoulders of the party with the 2 killing machine. Regardless of my legal right-of-way, though, I try not to be a jerk about it.

ThrustVectoring 11y ago
If you're about to cross a crosswalk, you're contributing to the attentional noise that drivers have to deal with. IMHO, just get out of the way so that fewer people have to make sure that they aren't going to hit you.
- crusso 11y ago
  I generally agree that doing a dance entering the crosswalk is unhelpful, but there are lots of cases where you can stand back and wait to enter the crosswalk in order to avoid making a car slam on its breaks.
  - dublinben 11y ago
    >making a car slam on its breaks If you need to "slam" on your breaks to let a pedestrian cross, you are driving too fast.