Stupid Pedestrians Vent

[Planogirl]

It doesn't really matter whether cars should yield to pedestrians or not. People in cars often don't pay attention or they drive too fast and that's not likely to stop. People need to pay attention and always assume that the idiot coming isn't going to stop. Sure, they can sue if they get hit, that is if they live through the impact.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

It's not parking lots that bother me- it's my university campus. We have a million crosswalks, but students don't use them. I have driven by that campus at night and had students dart out from between cars in dark clothing. I'm sorry, if I'm doing the speed limit (20) and you dart out five feet in front of my car, I am going to be hard pressed to stop. It's annoys me because during passing time you cannot move. Every two feet you have to stop- and often they are not far from a crosswalk! Don't they realize that they only have the right of way in crosswalks and jaywalking is illegal? It amazes me nobody's been hit, especially given the number of people who speed through campus.

 

[Darsa]

I've never been able to understand people on EITHER end; the ones who stroll blithely through the driving areas of the parking lot like it's the park, some even STOPPING in the road to chat or light a coffin-nail or dig the cell out... Or the ones who drive through the parking lot like it's NASCAR and pretend to "not see" the people crossing or walking. I've seen it all, and it's ridiculous on BOTH sides. WHY do people not care about themselves or their fellow man so very much? I don't get it...

 

[cteddiesgirl]

While it's stupid of pedestrians not to look before going out into the street, it is the law that drivers yield to those crossing in a parking lot.

 

[kaytieeldr]

While I detest jay-walkers as much as the next guy (if not more - I commute through the New England city that seems to be the birthplace of self-entitled, inconsiderate, pedestrian/bicyclist behavior ), ALWAYS remember a car does more damage to the pedestrian than a pedestrian could ever do to the car.

You're in a parking lot. There will be, during pretty much all operating hours, more vehicles parked - and so more customers walking through the parking lot, to and from the store - than there will be vehicles moving through the lot, total, including in the roadway between the parking area and the stores.

Thus, whether there are crosswalks or not, common sense (and in most locations, the law) dictates that drivers must yield to pedestrians.

 

[pezheadmeg]

It's a 2 way street (pun intended) when it comes to courtesy between pedestrians and drivers. It's courtesy on both ends. Basic common sense goes out the window. If you're crossing into the parking section, cross and be done with it. Don't walk slowly in the middle of the roadway and cause a back-up of 8 cars as you walk. Drivers be patient.

My drive home yesterday takes the cake on stupid pedestrian behavior. There's a cross walk at the end of the turning lanes to leave the mall. Does he use it? Of course not, i-pod in tow he walks on a diagonal across the turning lanes. Granted I had just missed the light but when I honk at him to get out of the way I get the what look. Then further down there's a woman with an infant in the bjorn attempting to cross in the middle of a major road because she was probably too lazy to walk a few hundred feet to the light. I get that it's cold out and walking a block to the light might not seem plausible, but crossing a road where the speed limit is 50 doesn't seem like common sense either. Maybe I should start a petition to get a light there.

I avoid driving on the island of Manhaten at all costs, but the system of lights at every corner is probably what most areas need. Yes it's quicker to walk than drive, but there's a minimal per capita of hit pedestrians.

 

[freckles and boo]

An accident will ruin you day no matter who is at fault, and all you can do is control your own actions. Walk "smart" and drive responsibly.

 

[allison443]

Since when is it OK to walk out of the grocery store pushing your cart, and stroll right out in front of cars without even looking or nodding a thank you?
I have noticed this a LOT lately. People walk out of the door and straight out into the road/drive way area between the store and the parking lot. OMG I feel tempted to actually hit one of them! They dont even look let alone thank you for stopping. If they do look they give you a "Yea, you better stop you jerk" kind of look. Morons. Of course there are many who are very courteous and wave a thank you as they scoot across the street... but I'm just venting about those idiots who are either stupid or rude or both.

Thank you. Vent over.

All of our stores here have added those stripes on the roadway right in front of the main doors, making it like a crosswalk. Here in our state we have to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. So I guess the pedestrians won't be "thanking" me when I stop to let them cross since they have the right of way.

Now, the people who walk down the aisle between two rows of parked cars, but they are walking right in the center, so the cars have to follow at a pedestrian's pace......ugh.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Two stories, two points of view here...

My mother and I were in the Target parking lot. She was several paces ahead of me, heading for the CROSSWALK. She stopped, looked - all clear, so she started crossing. About 4 or 5 steps out, a black SUV came flying around the corner. The driver laid on the horn and without slowing, swerved into the oncoming traffic lane, missing my mother by inches, and screamed "Get out of my way!"

A few months ago, I was on my way to work. Made my left turn and proceeded down the road. My side of the road was moving smoothly, but the opposing lane was backed up and stopped dead. About halfway down the road, NO crosswalk, an elderly man with a cane stepped out from behind a box truck, right in front of my car, without looking. Nobody could have seen him. The cars in front of me had made no indication that there was a person there (they didn't slow or stop or swerve). I was only doing the speed limit, but there was no way I could stop that quickly. Luckily, I was able to swerve and avoid hitting him. The person behind me did manage to stop with a squeal of brakes, and when I looked in my rearview mirror, I noticed that the man had continued across the road, never looking to either side.

 

[mumom95]

Since when is it OK to walk out of the grocery store pushing your cart, and stroll right out in front of cars without even looking or nodding a thank you?
I have noticed this a LOT lately. People walk out of the door and straight out into the road/drive way area between the store and the parking lot. OMG I feel tempted to actually hit one of them! They dont even look let alone thank you for stopping. If they do look they give you a "Yea, you better stop you jerk" kind of look. Morons. Of course there are many who are very courteous and wave a thank you as they scoot across the street... but I'm just venting about those idiots who are either stupid or rude or both.

Thank you. Vent over.

I think this post is funny. You are calling a group of people, who legally have the right of way, stupid and rude because they don't wave and say thank you to you when you admittedly feel like running them over.

 

[mlynn]

Well yes it's the law here too. But the law of nature tells most people with any brains that they COULD get SMASHED if they dont look.

And its not in a crosswalk. It's in a private parking lot.

No it is law in a parking lot too. There are signs to stop for Ped. I have seen people ticketed for not stopping.
BUT yes it is stupid to just walk out in front of a car even when it is a law.

 

[mjkacmom]

In New Jersey it's the law to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

This is what gets me - although it's the law, around here, it's a game of frogger. You literally put your life on the line trying to cross the street. Everyone seems to be driving 10 miles over the speed limit in their ginormous SUV's, cellphone stuck to their heads, and will actually speed up if they see you are trying to cross the street.

 

[bgirldeb]

It's the law to yield for pedestrians. Yeah, they should look before crossing to be sure, but it's the driver's responsibility to yield.

 

[JDinCO]

I've seen someone get a ticket for jaywalking in a ped zone. They didn't look jand just walked out in front of a car and got hit. It was on an Army post with a long road of ped xings which became a problem of guys running in the middle of the road.

 

[ckay87]

In New Jersey it's the law to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Well, I don't need a law to tell me not to hit a person with my car. I have seen those signs saying to "yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk" and I always think, well "duh...if someone is in the road it's pretty obvious we should try not to hit them." That is a little OT, but it amazes me that a law is necessary for that.

But growing up, didn't we learn to look both ways before we cross the street? This should be a basic survival instinct for us as a species living in modern society. I, too am astounded by the number of people who will walk in front of my moving vehicle.

 

[janets]

It's a parking lot! Pedestrians have the right of way. Cars should be going slow enough to safely navigate the parking lot. I get fed up with cars who race around and expect shoppers with unwieldly carts to be able to stop for the cars that zip out between the rows, or try to race along the aisle (path) in front of the store

It is the car's responsibility to yeild to the pedestrian in a parking lot.

My mom's friend (who is well into her 70s) was hit by a car in the parking lot of our local supermarket. She was crossing from the store to the parking area in the crosswalk location and was hit. Her back and leg were injured.

She contacted an attorney and tried to sue, but was told that the driver had the right of way and there was no case to be made. She was unable to sue the driver at all. So I'm not sure what the law is (I know that if you do not stop for pedestrians in a marked crosswalk on a public road, you will get a ticket and moving violation) but I can only tell you her experience.

 

[Hillbeans]

Since when is it OK to walk out of the grocery store pushing your cart, and stroll right out in front of cars without even looking or nodding a thank you?
I have noticed this a LOT lately. People walk out of the door and straight out into the road/drive way area between the store and the parking lot. OMG I feel tempted to actually hit one of them! They dont even look let alone thank you for stopping. If they do look they give you a "Yea, you better stop you jerk" kind of look. Morons. Of course there are many who are very courteous and wave a thank you as they scoot across the street... but I'm just venting about those idiots who are either stupid or rude or both.

Thank you. Vent over.

I completely agree with you. At the Shoprite people don't even pause before walking out the door and into the sidewalk. Common sense tells you to stop first before you walk in front of cars. I think people do it on purpose sometimes just to make a scene, I really do.

 

[tazdev3225]

It is the law in PA to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. I always make sure that I stop first to be on the safe side. I was almost hit the other night when a car came flying through the parking lot as I was crossing, I was already in the crosswalk. The idiot stopped and stared at me with several gestures and then floored it to the parking lane to park. I have almost been rear-ended on numerous occasions when I have stopped for pedestrians by other motorists who were not as inclined to pay attention.
Someone mentioned people that walk behind you as you back out of a spot. If I back out and hit a car I am completely at fault, you are entering the lane of traffic and have to yield to all oncoming traffic - vehicle and pedestrian. Should people be a little more alert, absolutely, but it goes both ways.

 

[rgf207]

In New Jersey it's the law to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

You know, it's the law in most places. Just because crosswalks are the law, they don't make you invincible.

I always look no matter where I am. Just because they are supposed to stop doesn't mean they do. you can be saying "it's the law to stop" all you want but that won't mean much when you are hit.

 

[NMAmy]

The grocery stores around here have stop signs both ways in front of the store as well as the crosswalk striping. And I have seen a cop pull someone over when they blew right through the stop signs without even slowing down.

I look before I cross but I'm not thanking a driver for doing what they're supposed to be doing nor do I expect folks to thank me when I'm in the car.