Pedestrian rage?!?
"Look both ways before you cross the street."
That saying was recited to me by my parents, babysitters and teachers a million times as I was growing up. And I can only assume every other child has heard the same mantra over and over and over again, right?
Most folks stick to that rule ... you simply do not walk out into busy traffic and expect folks to stop immediatly. ... Especially when said traffic is in a downtown area and there's a green light up ahead that is next to impossible to get.
But there are the few, the proud, the stupid, who choose to risk it - stepping out into oncoming traffic as they put their trust in flashing lights meant to alert drivers that a pedestrian is in the area. Now, I am all for pedestrian safety, but when the person is a big, fat, jerk, I'm all for revving my engine to put the fear of God in 'em.
So, this afternoon I was minding my business driving down the road in front of our county courthouse when the pedestrian-alert lights began flashing. I was only 10 feet from the pedestrian crosswalk and figured the woman who had just pressed the button to cross would know how hard it would be for me and the car next to me to stop. But I slowed just in case, and THANK GOD I did, because the "slowing" quickly turned into a break-squealing stop.
Miss Thang immediatly stepped in front of my car, screaming and wagging her finger in my general direction, as if I were to blame for her rediculous decision. The woman actually stopped in the center of the road to chew me out, and I was absolutely mystified.
And what really irks me is that if I hadn't been able to stop and I'd hit her, the blame would have been pinned on me - despite this crazed woman's behavior.
That saying was recited to me by my parents, babysitters and teachers a million times as I was growing up. And I can only assume every other child has heard the same mantra over and over and over again, right?
Most folks stick to that rule ... you simply do not walk out into busy traffic and expect folks to stop immediatly. ... Especially when said traffic is in a downtown area and there's a green light up ahead that is next to impossible to get.
But there are the few, the proud, the stupid, who choose to risk it - stepping out into oncoming traffic as they put their trust in flashing lights meant to alert drivers that a pedestrian is in the area. Now, I am all for pedestrian safety, but when the person is a big, fat, jerk, I'm all for revving my engine to put the fear of God in 'em.
So, this afternoon I was minding my business driving down the road in front of our county courthouse when the pedestrian-alert lights began flashing. I was only 10 feet from the pedestrian crosswalk and figured the woman who had just pressed the button to cross would know how hard it would be for me and the car next to me to stop. But I slowed just in case, and THANK GOD I did, because the "slowing" quickly turned into a break-squealing stop.
Miss Thang immediatly stepped in front of my car, screaming and wagging her finger in my general direction, as if I were to blame for her rediculous decision. The woman actually stopped in the center of the road to chew me out, and I was absolutely mystified.
And what really irks me is that if I hadn't been able to stop and I'd hit her, the blame would have been pinned on me - despite this crazed woman's behavior.
posted by Stacey at 7:57 PM
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