4 ms·

Yeah no, this is not how roads works. I don't care if you're a pedestrian, cyclist or driver, if you're following the letter of the law you are causing problem

Yeah no, this is not how roads works. I don't care if you're a pedestrian, cyclist or driver, if you're following the letter of the law you are causing problems for the other two. All three of these groups routinely ignore laws on a situation specific basis and with local variations. And that selective compliance with the law is what constitutes normal traffic flow. To robotically follow the law in spite of this is ill-advised because it makes your actions less predictable to every other traffic participant. Cyclists (unfairly, IMO, but that's beside the point) catch shit for rolling signs and lights because it's a toss up whether they will or not and that really inhibits the ability of everyone else around to plan accordingly. Cars don't get crap for speeding because their actions are still predicable allowing everyone else to plan accordingly. Likewise nobody cares when pedestrians jaywalk as long as they don't surprise other traffic when they do it. And nobody cares when cyclists roll stop signs when they time it so that their actions are compatible with the other traffic in the stop. Frankly, I think the cyclist expectation problem will solve itself when cycling becomes a normal way of commuting and not a lifestyle and fitness thing.

hbrav 5y ago
> All three of these groups routinely ignore laws This is a lot more common when the local traffic laws are kind of insane. It sounds from later in your post that you're thinking of a North American context. In the UK there's no such thing as jaywalking. It's not illegal, but also it's also not even a word. The proliferation of stop signs is also a very North American thing. I live in Canada and 4-way stops are almost everywhere. In London, I would be hard pressed to find 4 stop signs along the entire length of my commute. We don't need less enforcement of traffic laws, we need more sensible traffic laws (and highway engineering).

hbrav 5y ago

> All three of these groups routinely ignore laws This is a lot more common when the local traffic laws are kind of insane. It sounds from later in your post that you're thinking of a North American context. In the UK there's no such thing as jaywalking. It's not illegal, but also it's also not even a word. The proliferation of stop signs is also a very North American thing. I live in Canada and 4-way stops are almost everywhere. In London, I would be hard pressed to find 4 stop signs along the entire length of my commute. We don't need less enforcement of traffic laws, we need more sensible traffic laws (and highway engineering).