4 ms·

You'd be surprised (or perhaps not) at the amount of drivers who use their mobiles too while they drive.

by ahbyb 7y ago

kian 7y ago
I think what the parent is suggesting is that unless those drivers are driving onto the sidewalk, it wouldn't matter if the pedestrians chose to cross only when a driver was incapable of hitting them, regardless of whether that driver is looking or not. While it is incredibly irresponsible to use a phone and drive (and they should rightly be elevated in sentence should an accident occur), it's also very important to take responsibility for your own safety and not put yourself in life-threatening danger in the first place.
- my_usernam3 7y ago
  Yeah, I'm curious on what percentage of accidents could have been avoided by the pedestrian. I've always compared car vs pedestrian similar to unarmed person vs gun holder. The unarmed person has the right away ... but he or she is still unarmed and needs to remember that. That being said, I do know of streets that have sidewalks only marked by paint, so unless you're acutely watching each car from each direction, there are definitely accidents that are unavoidable for the pedestrian.
- AlexandrB 7y ago
  I've seen drivers blindly turn right or left without checking for pedestrians so many times I've lost count. How am I, as a pedestrian, supposed to cross only when such a driver is incapable of hitting me? Only walk at night when there's no traffic?
  - catalogia 7y ago
    There is no such thing as perfect mathematically provable safety. However that's not to say there aren't ways you can improve your odds. Looking both ways before crossing the street, although not perfect, is a pretty good technique. Being wary of cars that aren't pointed directly at you but which are coming in your general direction is a good idea. To this end, doing things like walking on the left sidewalk (or the right sidewalk in the UK or Japan) can help you to be aware of cars that shouldn't be on a collision course with you, but might be anyway. When at a crosswalk with a walk signal active and cars applying their brakes to stop, do you step out in front of those cars with the assumption that they will successfully stop, or do you wait for the cars to make a complete stop before stepping out in front of them? Assuming they'll successfully stop might be reasonable in some scenarios, but an unsafe assumption in others. It's the sort of context-dependent thing you need to be aware of regardless of what any laws written by people say. Be more wary of cars coming down hills than cars going up them. Be more wary of cars when the road is wet or icy. Be more wary of trucks than cars, particularly those that look to have heavy loads, and be more wary of cars whose brakes are squealing. Respecting the laws of man is generally a good idea, but you must also always respect the laws of nature. The laws of man won't save you when you get on the wrong side of nature.
    - cannonedhamster 7y ago
      I've been struck by a car while in a crosswalk. I waited to cross until the car stopped. It started again while I was in the crosswalk staring at them. Drivers are the problem not pedestrians.
      - catalogia 7y ago
        As I said, there is no conceivable way you can ensure total safety; you can only improve your odds. It's not a matter of who "the problem" is. The driver being legally to blame (which is obvious) won't bring you back from the dead. My priorities as a pedestrian are 1) Stay safe. 2) Obey the law. I do not count on the later to satisfy the former. I go above and beyond the requirements of (2) to satisfy the requirements of (1), because I am cognizant of my inability to sue myself back to life.
        catalogia 7y ago
        Sometimes I post things that I know will be controversial, and other times I'm surprised by what turns out to be controversial. I certainly didn't expect generalizing "look both ways before crossing the street" to be controversial. I fear perhaps some have mistaken me for a habitual driver who wants to blame pedestrians. That couldn't be further from the truth. I am a habitual pedestrian with a rational fear of drivers.
        cannonedhamster 7y ago
        So my concern with this mentality is that the problem really is drivers most of the time it's not something you as a pedestrian can do anything to mitigate or prevent. Generally, as a driver myself, I try to be courteous to pedestrians but I've had multiple times as a pedestrian where drivers have intentionally tried to hit me while running, as in swerved at. When my wife road her bicycle motorcycles would swerve at her and my daughter. We had a girl in our city running last year where a vehicle literally crossed the road, went offroad and ran her down to hit her then drove off. While I'm sure that most drivers try to be good drivers I can almost count on people running red lights in my area, not respecting crosswalks, and generally just being poor drivers. There's literally nothing I as a pedestrian can to to avoid a car moving faster than I can get out of the way. When running I wear reflective gear and headphones that allow outside noise in so that I can hear the road, I stay off the road in pinch points or areas of the visibility, and I still got hit when being careful. People who are normally fine outside of the vehicle turn into sociopaths and monsters when in their vehicles. So while yes there's some impetus on pedestrians to do their part it doesn't matter when vehicles don't do their part.
- nraynaud 7y ago
  Driving is a priviledge, it's the driver's responsibility not to kill anyone with their weapon, the same way a runner should be responsible not to hit and kill a toddler with their body. The person with the killing power is responsible for any blood spilled. In particular in the US where most of the roads are straight and super wide, how do you not see a pedestrian approaching the curb and reduce your speed accordingly until you're out of some kind of cone of uncertainty. (I know, American drivers just turn right while looking left at high speed because of their crazy right on red and wide roads, so they don't see the pedestrians who had 15s to cross a 4 lanes road)

You'd be surprised (or perhaps not) at the amount of drivers who use their mobiles too while they drive.

by ahbyb 7y ago

You'd be surprised (or perhaps not) at the amount of drivers who use their mobiles too while they drive.

kian 7y ago

I think what the parent is suggesting is that unless those drivers are driving onto the sidewalk, it wouldn't matter if the pedestrians chose to cross only when a driver was incapable of hitting them, regardless of whether that driver is looking or not. While it is incredibly irresponsible to use a phone and drive (and they should rightly be elevated in sentence should an accident occur), it's also very important to take responsibility for your own safety and not put yourself in life-threatening danger in the first place.

my_usernam3 7y ago
Yeah, I'm curious on what percentage of accidents could have been avoided by the pedestrian. I've always compared car vs pedestrian similar to unarmed person vs gun holder. The unarmed person has the right away ... but he or she is still unarmed and needs to remember that. That being said, I do know of streets that have sidewalks only marked by paint, so unless you're acutely watching each car from each direction, there are definitely accidents that are unavoidable for the pedestrian.
AlexandrB 7y ago
I've seen drivers blindly turn right or left without checking for pedestrians so many times I've lost count. How am I, as a pedestrian, supposed to cross only when such a driver is incapable of hitting me? Only walk at night when there's no traffic?
- catalogia 7y ago
  There is no such thing as perfect mathematically provable safety. However that's not to say there aren't ways you can improve your odds. Looking both ways before crossing the street, although not perfect, is a pretty good technique. Being wary of cars that aren't pointed directly at you but which are coming in your general direction is a good idea. To this end, doing things like walking on the left sidewalk (or the right sidewalk in the UK or Japan) can help you to be aware of cars that shouldn't be on a collision course with you, but might be anyway. When at a crosswalk with a walk signal active and cars applying their brakes to stop, do you step out in front of those cars with the assumption that they will successfully stop, or do you wait for the cars to make a complete stop before stepping out in front of them? Assuming they'll successfully stop might be reasonable in some scenarios, but an unsafe assumption in others. It's the sort of context-dependent thing you need to be aware of regardless of what any laws written by people say. Be more wary of cars coming down hills than cars going up them. Be more wary of cars when the road is wet or icy. Be more wary of trucks than cars, particularly those that look to have heavy loads, and be more wary of cars whose brakes are squealing. Respecting the laws of man is generally a good idea, but you must also always respect the laws of nature. The laws of man won't save you when you get on the wrong side of nature.
  - cannonedhamster 7y ago
    I've been struck by a car while in a crosswalk. I waited to cross until the car stopped. It started again while I was in the crosswalk staring at them. Drivers are the problem not pedestrians.
    - catalogia 7y ago
      As I said, there is no conceivable way you can ensure total safety; you can only improve your odds. It's not a matter of who "the problem" is. The driver being legally to blame (which is obvious) won't bring you back from the dead. My priorities as a pedestrian are 1) Stay safe. 2) Obey the law. I do not count on the later to satisfy the former. I go above and beyond the requirements of (2) to satisfy the requirements of (1), because I am cognizant of my inability to sue myself back to life.
      - catalogia 7y ago
        Sometimes I post things that I know will be controversial, and other times I'm surprised by what turns out to be controversial. I certainly didn't expect generalizing "look both ways before crossing the street" to be controversial. I fear perhaps some have mistaken me for a habitual driver who wants to blame pedestrians. That couldn't be further from the truth. I am a habitual pedestrian with a rational fear of drivers.
      - cannonedhamster 7y ago
        So my concern with this mentality is that the problem really is drivers most of the time it's not something you as a pedestrian can do anything to mitigate or prevent. Generally, as a driver myself, I try to be courteous to pedestrians but I've had multiple times as a pedestrian where drivers have intentionally tried to hit me while running, as in swerved at. When my wife road her bicycle motorcycles would swerve at her and my daughter. We had a girl in our city running last year where a vehicle literally crossed the road, went offroad and ran her down to hit her then drove off. While I'm sure that most drivers try to be good drivers I can almost count on people running red lights in my area, not respecting crosswalks, and generally just being poor drivers. There's literally nothing I as a pedestrian can to to avoid a car moving faster than I can get out of the way. When running I wear reflective gear and headphones that allow outside noise in so that I can hear the road, I stay off the road in pinch points or areas of the visibility, and I still got hit when being careful. People who are normally fine outside of the vehicle turn into sociopaths and monsters when in their vehicles. So while yes there's some impetus on pedestrians to do their part it doesn't matter when vehicles don't do their part.
nraynaud 7y ago
Driving is a priviledge, it's the driver's responsibility not to kill anyone with their weapon, the same way a runner should be responsible not to hit and kill a toddler with their body. The person with the killing power is responsible for any blood spilled. In particular in the US where most of the roads are straight and super wide, how do you not see a pedestrian approaching the curb and reduce your speed accordingly until you're out of some kind of cone of uncertainty. (I know, American drivers just turn right while looking left at high speed because of their crazy right on red and wide roads, so they don't see the pedestrians who had 15s to cross a 4 lanes road)