How can drivers not see pedestrians?? (RANT!)

I just came back from the groceries and almost got myself killed by a stupid driver.

I was waiting at a street corner for the light to turn green. When it did, I started crossing the street at a normal pace. I was on the right side of the street. Once I was in the middle of the street, a car that was facing me suddenly decided to turn left VERY QUICKLY. The woman driving that car (a very large SUV) obviously didn't see that I was crossing the street.

When I saw the car racing towards me, my first reflex was to back up but I couldn't because I was pulling my two-wheel cart full of groceries. All I could do was stand there and hope that the car didn't hit me. The wheels must have been inches away from my feet. If I had been walking just a bit faster, I would probably be at the hospital by now (if not worse)

The woman driving the car didn't even stop to apologize. I'm not sure she even saw that she almost hit me.

I'm really upset about it now. I walk all the time in this city. I walk to school (takes me 30 minutes), to the groceries, almost everywhere I go I walk. I am always very careful but I can't do anything about stupid drivers.

Good thing chocolate milk was on sale and I bought 2 litres of it. I think I'll really need it now!

sadly but most people do not know that pedestrians have the right of way.

Alot of drivers think that they have a right to drive...they don't realize that it's a privelage and they abuse it any chance they get.

I'm glad you are ok though!

I discovered even the police in a local city won't give pedestrians right of way! I was walking by the city/county building and a city police car almost ran me over as I crossed the drive that goes across the front.

I have been almost hit several times. which is sad. supposedto have the right of way

I know. Even when I have the right of way, I try to make sure that the drivers actually looked in my direction and are not moving before I cross the street.
If they didn't respect the right of way and hit me, they would be in the wrong. But I'd still be the one to get hurt.

Unfortunately, sometimes there's not much you can do. Especially when dealing with crazy Montreal drivers on a Friday afternoon

Back in Seattle it happened to me a lot, the last time it happened, I was walking back to my apartment from the supermarket with two 1 gallon jugs of drinking water.
I whacked the lady's front fender with a jug, I think it sufficiently scared her enough that she'll pay more attention.

Originally Posted by ScamperFarms

I have been almost hit several times. which is sad.

supposedto have the right of way

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Join the club. I bike to class every day - I always give way to pedestrians and follow road rules but its seems that cars simply don't seem to recognize that I even exist on the road! They shoot past so close - especially the local busses who's drivers seem to forget how long their vehicle is and start to move back into the lane without clearing me.

People who don't signal, or who don't signal in time really drive me mad too - it is like they just don't even care because you are too insignificant to do any real damage to them! I have driven for years before using a bike now and I can honestly say people just do not give you the same space and curtesy as when you are in a car. It is sad because it should be the opposite way around - bike riders and pedestrians are much more fragile since we have nothing to protect us!

I got home so mad yesterday - I was riding along and a guy pulls out from his driveway straight into my path. I had to brake so hard I nearly fell off my bike. Anyway, I rode around him and as he drives off he must have been unsure of where he wanted to go so he overtakes me and then suddenly he half turns his car, swerving it in front of me again.

By now I'm getting a bit annoyed - he seemed to be discussing where to go with his girlfriend so I took a wide path around him on the other side of the road - lo and behold, the genius throws his car into reverse and backs up straight at me and I was forced into a garden.

Jeez, what if a child was biking along there?? Or a child was walking in the area??? It was right next to a park, he really should have been more aware of what was going on around him - I'm guessing his dark sunnies on a overcast evening were not helping either...

Ok, Ok - I'm finished!

I've been both - pedestrian and driver - and honestly can say there have been times I have been overlooked by a driver and not seen a pedestrian as a driver. Both have to be aware of each other.

My dad almost backed into a lady one time in a parking lot. We have a Chevy Tahoe, and this lady was not even 5 ft. Luckly, my mom saw her before he started backing up..

At a few crosswalks here, we have little light up things on the crosswalks, so even at night you can see them. They flash on all the lines on the crosswalk, and then down the middle line of the road up about 10 feet in both directions. Its really been helpfull.. Makes people feel more of a "responsibility" so to speak, to stop.

-- Bethany

I was almost mowed down by a little teenage twit and her friend in Daddy's car (or at least the car that Daddy bought her) at the mall. She had to have been going over 40 MPH in the lanes right next to the mall. When I started to cross the street, she wasn't there. By the time I got halfway across she was within a few hundred yards. Honestly I think I froze about 3/4 of the way across the street (in her lane), and it was like slow-motion. She swerved to avoid killing me, which I have no doubt I would have been if she hadn't swerved because she NEVER HIT THE BRAKES! Not even when she whizzed past me with not more than 6 inches to spare! I screamed a nasty name at her (involuntarily) as her and her little witch friend laughed as they sped past me. If I could have caught them I probably would have ended up in jail for battery, I was so scared and then so mad at the same time!

(Needless to say, I'm fully in support of tighter regulations on teenage drivers and passengers of teenage drivers!)

I drive too. Cant say I dont. But i tell you i wait til the ped. is FULLY across the street. I dont play that..half way game like most people the law clearly states they have to be fully out of the crosswalk. I dont care if people honk at me. I know what its like to almost get hit. no thank you!

Worst thing is I saw a lady almost get hit, and a cop was at the light too. and he didnt do a bean about it.

I've noticed people's lack of respect for pedestrians, too. Here in CA, you take quite the risk walking anywhere. I remember when I would go walking with my daughter (when she was a baby) and get so MAD that people would BARELY miss hitting the both of us. I just kept thinking...how could they NOT see me with this BIG stroller, and all the stuff with me?! Argh...just makes me mad how often people don't watch what they're doing, or just don't care. Funny...do they think we'll RUN out of their way?!

Oh, and in a microscopically SMALL defense of drivers (at least on our street)...
We have lots of kids that like to play on our cul de sac...and we've discovered that none of them are the sharpest knives in the drawer. They like to try to cross RIGHT in front of cars...just to see if they can do it...whether on foot or by bike. It's INSANE!! We almost hit one of the kids once...and we were LITERALLY only going 10mph!!

We weren't driving irresponsibly or not paying attention...it's that the kid decided to try to rush across the street before we got there, instead of doing the smart thing (that their parents just don't seem to want to teach them) of waiting until we were past. We totally had to screech on our breaks for him, as he STARTED to cross in front of us when we were just a few feet away!! His friend (who lives in our building) even told us that he told the kid not to do it, but he didn't listen.

ARGH...all I kept thinking was, 'What if we hadn't had good enough brakes? What could we have POSSIBLY told a judge to make him/her understand how stupid a decision this kid made in playing this game?!' The kid was lucky my husband has a very quick response time, that's all I gotta say!!

Once I was taking Jake, my dog, out for a walk and we could have been hit. I always make Jake sit and stay before crossing any street, even if there are no cars around. This one day, I stopped him at a corner and told him to sit. There was a car coming, blinker already on signalling that she was going to turn towards us and go down the street. She saw us and stopped, and then Jake and I started across. Jake's naturally faster than me, so he was maybe 10 feet in front of me when the car suddenly started up again. I was still pretty close to the curb where we initially were at, and Jake was nearest to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Jake was on his 15' flexi, so he was at the very end and the car went right in between us. Jake saw the car coming so he slunk down, definitely afraid of the car, and ran out to the end of the leash (15'). The leash was sliding back over the front part of the car and when it went onto the windshield, the lady suddenly stopped with a screech, as if she just saw us. I looped the leash the rest of the way over the car and went around behind it, automatically checking to make sure Jake was indeed on the sidewalk instead of plastered to the road under the tires. He was okay, but he was definitely spooked. The lady didn't even apologize, she just went on her way. She looked scared and shocked, though.

we ride on a motor bike some times,and the times we have been almost knocked off the bike by blind drivers they jump lights dont indicate hey are we suposed to be mind readers and know that they are going to suddenly swerve into our lane cause they want to,a couple of times they have cut in so close to us u feel the car brush past u,frightens the daylights out of me. ive got kids and grandkids and these morons want to kill me
once after a close call we chased a driver wanted to get in front of him,i was going to throw my crash helmet through his window but he shot off like a bat outta hell (maybe he could read my mind or saw the hand gestures i was making )

Hmmm it really annoys me too

In the UK we have Zebra crossings, in theory drivers are meant to stop to let you cross the road. But on the main road near where I live I sometimes have to wait until 4 or 5 cars have passed before someone can even be bothered to stop for me! I get so annoyed that I step out onto the road so that they have no choice but to stop.....!

Originally Posted by Gilly

Hmmm it really annoys me too

In the UK we have Zebra crossings, in theory drivers are meant to stop to let you cross the road. But on the main road near where I live I sometimes have to wait until 4 or 5 cars have passed before someone can even be bothered to stop for me! I get so annoyed that I step out onto the road so that they have no choice but to stop.....!

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roundabouts where they dont give way annoy me/traffic lights where a large numer if citizens dont know coulors/and know their left from right oh we have it all in dear ole london and we have the highest tax and ins and petrol so u would think the drivers would drive with concideration but no way they drive like morons (can u tell its my pet subject) now gets off soap box

Now central London is a different story altogether.... The times my life has flashed before my eyes on the busy roads

Originally Posted by Arlyn

Back in Seattle it happened to me a lot, the last time it happened, I was walking back to my apartment from the supermarket with two 1 gallon jugs of drinking water.
I whacked the lady's front fender with a jug, I think it sufficiently scared her enough that she'll pay more attention.

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I have done that same sort of thing. I usually kick the car and then argument generally ensues..A friend of mine was knocked down once and proceeded to then hit the guys window with his backpack, which shattered the window. The guys in the car were too scared to get out...