Heard on the news today that paupers are 4 times more likely to be mown down whilst crossing the road, and that politicians are calling for increased road safety measures in less desirable areas.

This got me thinking. Are poor people just generally bad at crossing roads, or could it be that the sort of people that can't get their heads around the Green Cross Code are far less likely to be able to earn a decent wage?

I'm a great exponent of Charles Darwin's theories on natural selection, and I can't help thinking that this might just be a modern day version of his theories in practice.

Am I the only person that thinks perhaps it's best not to tinker with these things?

Woah there Adam, I think the toner cartridge needs changing…

There is another answer – in poor areas there are less car owners so people walk more – that makes them more likely to get hit by cars. Also commonly the middleclass areas have lower speed limits and traffic calmed roads to appease the daily wail complainers.

Im with the OP.

Lessen the burden on society!

Poorer areas tend to have more "rude boys" tearing up and down the street, aswell as the obvious increase in the amount of cars driving down the roads as a result of more highly condensed housing.

or, is it the car drivers fault in these areas, not driving so well?

It cos they're all staggering about on Buckfast and crack.

Or possibly just that poorer areas have less money set aside for road safety as they generally have more pressing needs?

There is another answer – in poor areas there are less

[pedant]fewer[/pedant]

car owners so people walk more

Not IME, I went to buy a welder from a poor area of glasgow, I could barely move for the number of cars jamming the streets.

Or possibly just that poorer areas have less money set aside for road safety

Not sure the highways deparments of councils trade areas like that – they get a fixed budget to work on all roads, but I suspect they may enhance areas that are more open to investment (city centres) and leave outskirts a bit devoid.

they are less likely to be driving would be my guess

Speaking of natural selection in action. A new footbridge in Manchester had to be closed soon after opening, because 'if someone really reached, they could touch the overhead tram power lines (under the bridge) with an umbrella'.
Why modify the bridge? If you're the sort of person who wants to try this sort of thing out, please be my guest…

poorer kids are more likely to "play out" unsupervised than middle class kids

poorer areas have more cars parked on the road – less visability for drivers/ people crossing the road

more boy racers in poorer estates

well to do village where my kids go to school – 20 mph limit and speed bums

less well to do village where we actually live – 30 mph limit everywhere, no speed bumps

it's free range kids innit.

I knew someone who hit a kid who ran out in the road near a 'caravan site'.

The kid had bounced off the car and seemed ok but whilst he was finding this out he heard what he described as a 'roar' from the caravans and about 40 blokes all started runnign towards him carrying whatever weapons they could lay their hands on.

About 10 yards behind this wall of blokes was an equal number of women all shouting at the blokes not to beat the crap out of the car driver.

He got away without a kicking but was more shaken up by the reaction from the adults than hitting the kid int he first place.

well to do village where my kids go to school……..speed bums

is it a private school? I believe that sort of thing is rife.

well to do village where my kids go to school – 20 mph limit and speed bums

less well to do village where we actually live – 30 mph limit everywhere, no speed bumps
Hasn't that got more to do with the fact there has to be a reason to install speed bumps? Nothing to do with how well off the area is???? Like here my kids go to school – 20 mph limit and speed bum(p)s

Not IME, I went to buy a welder from a poor area of glasgow, I could barely move for the number of cars jamming the streets.

ah but ….. were they driving them or living in them?

🙂

Why modify the bridge? If you're the sort of person who wants to try this sort of thing out, please be my guest…

Recently a bridge was going to be put in near a not-so-nice estate near my old house, over a dual carriageway. It was going to cost a fortune to be put in a specific location because a survey found that locals wouldn't use it if it was 100 yards up the road. In the end they scrapped the bridge and dropped the speed limit on the road to 50 instead. All of this is despite the fact that there is an underpass 100 yards in the other direction.

Also the scummiest places around liverpool/mersey/manchester seem to be littered with speed bumps – its a pain, it stops me fleeing when kids surround my car for no reason!

Actually, take a drive through Possil (Glasgow). It's one of the poorest areas in the UK.

I remember as a kid my mum always used to call it "lemming country" as folk just seem to wander in the road round there.

Not really sure why exactly – though as a ex-weegie myself I'm aware that there is definitely a cultural norm of just walking through heavy traffic in Glasgow, so maybe it is just more pronounced in poorer areas?

I was driving the work van the other night, in a bad area and a couple of lads came flying out a side road on their bmx's. Had to slam on my brakes, then got a load of aggro off the two loads "open your **** eyes" etc – couldn't help thinking I should have accelerate and let natural selection do it's thing.

Bilsland Drive is where I recently was (ineffectively) fly-kicked by a young girl while I was cycling home. Maybe she was just walking out?! 😀

let natural selection do it's thing.

Wouldn't be natural then, it'd be Eugenics wouldn't it?

Hmmm I've noticed the pelican crossings in poorer areas near us have a really, really long "green man" cycle and afterwards the lights never go to flashing amber but do a proper red+amber green. I wondered why, maybe this is due to the stats mentioned in the OP.

Mind you no matter how long the bloody green man cycle some nob will still step onto the road just as the lights go to green – GRRRR.

I've noticed the pelican crossings in poorer areas near us have a really, really long "green man" cycle and afterwards the lights never go to flashing amber but do a proper red+amber green.

Pedantic point of order: they'd be Puffin (or possibly Toucan or Pegasus) crossings, not Pelican 🙂

Forking Our Souls – Member

This got me thinking.

How are you finding the challenge ?

Are you lot serious? No surprise to see you know who pushing the master race line again but the contempt for people who live in certain areas or don't match your income bracket is astonishing…suppose some of you think you are being clever and ironic.

No contempt here, just academic contemplation of what social factors may contribute to a statistically observable phenomenon.

As with GrahamS. Though views mildly tainted by actually having spent a fair amount of time around and working with people from such areas.

How are you finding the challenge ?

😆

Are you lot serious? No surprise to see you know who pushing the master race line again but the contempt for people who live in certain areas or don't match your income bracket is astonishing…suppose some of you think you are being clever and ironic.

What did you expect? This is largely a middle class forum.

That's right, go and usurp my "troll of the day" you utter git.

How are you finding the challenge ?

One tends to find it comes quite naturally to those of an educated bent. Tell me Ernest, how many times have you been run over?

(Sorry Blingbling 😉 )

what grevious tim said, combined with the fact that more and more people have NO common sense at all.

sadly, this gene trait isnt being wiped from the gene pool thanks to "health and safety" (spit spit)

and though i hate to say it, im going to anyway, cause im thinking it, even if it makes me a middle class ****:

do "poorer families", you know, the jeremy kyle, microwave dinners and 40 a day, ones, spend as much time educating thier kids about things in "life" that require common sense?

dont dick about near trains
look when your crossing the road
respect your elders (step to one side for the old lady hobbling along the pavement kind of thing)

do they spend ANY time?
i get the feeling that as soon as the little feckers are old enough to walk, they are just always "out", and not considered to be the parents problem anymore?

I thought it was to do with kids being run over not poor people, as that is what the news just reported.

Besides one of the things they are trying to push through is to stop 'daylight saving' which is all good by me more evening daylight 😀

Spot on Olly, but this situation has been allowed to go completely unchecked by the Laws of Natural Selection.

I say leave them to it. And set up a chain of low status florists to cash in on all those ghastly floral tributes that the Jeremy Kyle sector seem so fond of…

16-year old scrote killed on a moped? Let's create a wall of flowers at the road side, 'cause he loved carnations when he was alive… 🙄

"he was a beautiful boy, loved by all"

inbetween the lines: "what a gobshite, too bad he mashed himself razzing his moped along a footpath, but cant say i"ll miss him"

I'm always surprised by the numbers of people in Chiswick who don't look when crossing the road. I know that its a relatively poor area after all with Chelsea and Knightsbridge just up the way.
Some of you guys (I know some are trolling) really do disappoint me.

This story relates to a fascinating piece of research!

Serious accidents are traditionally mapped according to where the crash occurs. Traffic engineers then look at possible improvements to make "accident hot spots" safer (speed limits, remodelling the junction, etc)

However, a few years ago, someone analysed serious accidents in a different way, and mapped the postcodes of the victims. And yet again, the map showed hot spots – but centred on deprived areas

So making physical improvements to deprived areas won't work. These accidents happened all over the place – towns, countryside, motorways. The common factor is that, statistically, the victims tended to live in poor areas

Looks like some people are getting a little bit overexcited at the prospect of the Fuhrer being on TV soon…I bet he's got plans eradicate all the undesirable traits from the gene pool.

I'm always surprised by the numbers of people in Chiswick who don't look when crossing the road

Most people use their hearing to cross the road – only if they hear something that registers as dangerous do they look.

Wait till every other car is electric

"he was a beautiful boy, loved by all"

It's the Poignant Message Contest that really makes me laugh – top prize: a close-up zoom on Regional News Tonight. 2nd Prize: Photo on cover of Local Evening Post.

Favourites include "Why???" and "Heaven has another angle" (sic).

I like to sneak there under the cover of darkness and add my own: "Aaaaarghhh" and "We won't be there when you cross the road…"

Why do people dislike want to be middle class snotty gits? Oh that's why, comments like above! I know lots of people who bought houses, cars and bikes they could ill afford and are struggling to get by on their incomes and now have negative equity on their houses. If they lose there jobs and houses then they cant even claw back some money and will still be in debt. I earn more than most of them and stay in a moderate ex council house and more importantly I live a very nice lifestyle and don't have any debt. Do I fall into the scum bag category? Some people are unbelievable in there opinions of less fortunate others and unless your a Banker W@nker I wouldn't be laughing.

Looks like some people are getting a little bit overexcited at the prospect of the Fuhrer being on TV soon…I bet he's got plans eradicate all the undesirable traits from the gene pool.

i thought he was canvassing in these specific areas surely?

Cause all the pols are "taking our jobs" (doing your jobs for less money and less complaining)

cause apparently EVERYONE has to go to uni now, and get an office job.

One tends to find it comes quite naturally to those of an educated bent.

Glad to hear it mate. And whilst I am loathed to contribute to your trollistic thread Porked Soles, it is interesting to note that someone of "an educated bent" didn't stop to consider that the disproportionate amount of traffic calming measures such as speed humps in nice leafy middle-class suburban areas, when compared to the lack of them in poor inner-city areas, might have an effect.

😕