Pedestrians Crossing Streets and Walking in Parking Lots

[Ms.Minnie]

Does it bother anyone else besides me that pedestrians just walk in front of cars without looking before they go? When I was a child, I was taught to look both ways before crossing a street or walking in a parking lot but that seems to have gone by the wayside. I’m not exactly sure when it changed or why but sometimes it is very annoying. Some people seem to walk as slow as they can or so it seems when crossing in front of you in a parking lot. If I cross a parking lot with a car waiting for me, I always walk as fast as I can, it just seems to be the courteous thing to do. I just think it’s a sign of people being inconsiderate when they move so slow. Yes, some people can’t move fast, those are the exceptions. Just wondering what others think of this change in our society's behavior. Am I the only one that this change bothers?

 

[kdonnel]

People have always been impatient and more focused on themselves.

The driver who gets pissed because they have to wait an extra 13 seconds for someone to cross the street is no different than the pedestrian that takes an extra 13 seconds to cross the street just to piss off the driver.

 

[soccerdad72]

Yeah, it bothers me, but it's low on my list of annoyances in general. I don't see it a lot, but I do see it happening from time to time.

 

[fla4fun]

I feel unless they are in a crosswalk, a pedestrian should not attempt to cross the path of the car unless they have enough time to complete the crossing before the car reaches them. That is going to vary by person because, as you mentioned, different people walk at different speeds. I think some people assume that pedestrians always have the right of way, but they don’t. If they aren’t even bothering to see if a vehicle is coming, I truly fear for their lives. A driver may not see them until it’s too late.

 

[Disneylover99]

It bothers me a lot. Actually, it drives me nuts. I notice it more and more.

I don’t mind waiting for people to cross the road, but the sheer amount of people who unexpectedly walk in front of cars is alarming. I’m always surprised that I don’t hear about more people being hit.

 

[disneychrista]

It is equally annoying that cars don’t stop when someone is obviously waiting to cross the street and a crosswalk/intersection.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

It bothers me if the person is distracted by having their nose in their phone, not paying attention to their surroundings when they come to cross the street. Fastest way to acquire a pair of wings.

 

[Scotgirl]

Crossing a road in the US is an experience in itself! Here our traffic stops entirely to allow pedestrians to cross - feels much safer than crossing a road when a car is trying to turn as well

 

[MillauFr]

Crossing a road in the US is an experience in itself! Here our traffic stops entirely to allow pedestrians to cross - feels much safer than crossing a road when a car is trying to turn as well

That is the law in most places in the US but the motorists generally ignore the law and the police don't enforce it. Heck most drivers don't even know they have to stop for pedestrians in unmarked crosswalks.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

It bothers me a lot. Actually, it drives me nuts. I notice it more and more.

I don’t mind waiting for people to cross the road, but the sheer amount of people who unexpectedly walk in front of cars is alarming. I’m always surprised that I don’t hear about more people being hit.

DH and I have said (to each other and the kids) "Just because you have the right of way as a pedestrian, doesn't mean the car can't hurt you if it doesn't stop. In car vs pedestrian, car almost always wins."

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

People have always been impatient and more focused on themselves.

The driver who gets pissed because they have to wait an extra 13 seconds for someone to cross the street is no different than the pedestrian that takes an extra 13 seconds to cross the street just to piss off the driver.

I don't get annoyed because I have to wait...I get annoyed that they are so careless about their own safety

 

[tvguy]

I am equally annoyed by pedestrians who take their time, and drivers who don't look out for them......or yield to them when the law requires it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

DH and I have said (to each other and the kids) "Just because you have the right of way as a pedestrian, doesn't mean the car can't hurt you if it doesn't stop. In car vs pedestrian, car almost always wins."

Exactly! That's a common saying around here: "The pedestrian has the right of way!" People think they can just walk around obliviously and every car will magically stop to let them cross. "Right of way" is nice in theory, but it doesn't keep you alive! We are very sensitive to pedestrians since my MIL was hit and killed by a car nearly 26 years ago. She was crossing the street right in front of her house. The driver was facing into the sun and claimed not to have seen her until it was too late. No one will ever know what my MIL was thinking. Did she see the car coming but think she had time to cross? Did she think the driver saw her and was slowing down? Did she assume the driver would see her when she got closer? We'll never know.

 

[starlite_]

I will 100% walk slower and even stop if the driver is running the engine to make me go faster while I'm on the crosswalk. On parking lots, I feel like you should be careful of pedestrians regardless and go slowly. It's a parking lot not a street, kids are getting out of or running to their cars, people are distracted by their bags, etc. Why do you wanna do fast on a parking lot? It makes no sense to me.

Jaywalking is indeed dangerous and shouldn't be done for the pedestrian's own safety but that said if you see someone is jaywalking then slow down the car

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

People walking across without looking does bother me. I’m surprised people are so trusting that the car sees you and stops. I try to avoid driving near entrances to stores for this reason.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I will say that sometimes in a parking lot, the only way to get across is to just stop out and force the cars to stop - otherwise you sometimes stand there all day because no one stops for you.

 

[mrodgers]

It's because of "pedestrians have the right of way". That is suppose to be for a crosswalk, when pedestrians are in the crosswalk, you are suppose to stop for them. To me that doesn't mean the guy walking down the sidewalk of the side road from around the corner of the building and entering the crosswalk in front of traffic, but it seems that's what most people walking do think.

I find on the road it's fine. In town every corner has a walk signal. Out of town, there isn't any one walking.

It's the parking lots of the big box stores that is a major problem, both ways with the people exiting the store and the drivers who insist on immediately going to the front of the store and driving through that area. People just walk out of stores and don't pay any attention and they amble at a diagonal across from the doors to either side aisle where they parked taking twice as long to cross over.

I don't drive in front of the stores. I drive through the back of the lots and park towards the back. I always want to be closer to the exit than to the entrance of the building.

When I walk out of the store, it drives me crazy people stopping in their cars. I am working it so that I pass behind you before the next car as you go by. I don't need traffic in a parking lot to stop, they are going slow enough I can navigate just fine to get across (Disboard disclaimer, yes I know there are people with mobility problems from ailments or age and I am neither of those. I just wrote what I did as an abled bodied person and any other able bodied person should be able to do what I do, cross from the store without interrupting the people driving in cars.)

 

[CdnCarrie]

I think it can go both ways. Sometimes pedestrians don't watch where they are going.
But lots of times cars don't stop when they are supposed to and don't look for pedestrians.
So no I don't feel the same way you do in the least.

Pedestrians have the right of way in parking lots.
Maybe some of the people irritating you have mobility issues?

 

[Ms.Minnie]

I will say that sometimes in a parking lot, the only way to get across is to just stop out and force the cars to stop - otherwise you sometimes stand there all day because no one stops for you.

This is my experience but in reverse. The stream of pedestrians just seems to have no end and you can sit there waiting to go for quite a while. We do try to avoid driving directly in front of the stores for this reason but sometimes it can't be avoided. Some people just appear to be on a nice leisurely stroll with no regard for anyone else. Just my observations.

It's because of "pedestrians have the right of way". That is suppose to be for a crosswalk, when pedestrians are in the crosswalk, you are suppose to stop for them. To me that doesn't mean the guy walking down the sidewalk of the side road from around the corner of the building and entering the crosswalk in front of traffic, but it seems that's what most people walking do think.

I find on the road it's fine. In town every corner has a walk signal. Out of town, there isn't any one walking.

It's the parking lots of the big box stores that is a major problem, both ways with the people exiting the store and the drivers who insist on immediately going to the front of the store and driving through that area. People just walk out of stores and don't pay any attention and they amble at a diagonal across from the doors to either side aisle where they parked taking twice as long to cross over.

I don't drive in front of the stores. I drive through the back of the lots and park towards the back. I always want to be closer to the exit than to the entrance of the building.

When I walk out of the store, it drives me crazy people stopping in their cars. I am working it so that I pass behind you before the next car as you go by. I don't need traffic in a parking lot to stop, they are going slow enough I can navigate just fine to get across (Disboard disclaimer, yes I know there are people with mobility problems from ailments or age and I am neither of those. I just wrote what I did as an abled bodied person and any other able bodied person should be able to do what I do, cross from the store without interrupting the people driving in cars.)

I'm with you, I don't need or expect the cars to stop for me. I always look before I go and I can wait a minute for a car to get by.

 

[Mysterian]

What bugs me is a large group of kids that slowly and casually walk in the middle of the road, and through an intersection, in the suburb where I live. If cars are in the road, they don't move out of the way. Instead of walking at the edge of the road, or on the grass, they deliberately walk in the line of traffic. They will even walk towards the line of traffic as a car approaches, and/ or they'll even stay there in the road socializing. No parents around to observe them either.

Of course drivers should be driving carefully and be on the lookout for pedestrians, it's another thing for kids to foolishly expect that blocking traffic is safe for them. All it takes is anyone drinking, texting, or speeding. I haven't seen this happen much anymore, however, possibly because there are some cops that live in my area. Or worse, if something's actually happened.