There were huge delays a few months back on the A27 at Lewes when a pedestrian crossing on the westbound lanes went haywire
One of GlennQuagmire's matchsticks?
Not sure if aimed at me, but 6:30 in the morning, if you’re mounting a pavement with the intention of cutting across me to get in your car park, you’re getting abused. Don’t like it, don’t act like an entitled prick
It was but at your comment about pressing the button even after you've crossed just to be annoying, rather than the car trying to run you over thing...
I think people wearing headphones all the time doesn't help
It's the ones that think "ooh I can just run across and I'll be fine".
And those that follow them. Especially those that put their umbrellas in the way of oncoming traffic as it's clearly generating a forcefield to protect them from impending death.
Gonna have to fit the airhorn to the bike again.
It was but at your comment about pressing the button even after you’ve crossed just to be annoying, rather than the car trying to run you over thing…
Yeah but pressing the button means the traffic stops and all those morning commuters can finish their cereal and write a couple of witty tweets in the break.
Round here its the coffin dodgers who stand at zebra crossings chatting away to an acquaintance who has just crossed the road. So the oncoming cars do not know if they are about to march out or will be another 5mins gassing about Majories hip replacemnt
This is in complete contrast to the electric mobility scooter brigade who charge across without a care.
I think the reasoning is ' well if someone hits me whats the worst that will happen ,, I end up in a wheelchair. . . . . hang on I am already in one'
It was but at your comment about pressing the button even after you’ve crossed just to be annoying, rather than the car trying to run you over thing…
Some people just like to watch the world burn 😉
It’s on a junction with bad visibility. I just see myself as a bonus traffic calming measure.
Dick head winds his window down and shouts “I’m indicating” to which I replied “It’s a pavement you **** idiot, pedestrians have right of way” this is why I press the buttons.
This is a bit like a car driver punishment passing every cyclist they see because they noticed some bloke riding through a red light sometime last week.
The ones who pretend to run when they step out as you're approaching are my favourites. A perfect jogging motion but no increase in speed whatsoever.
This is a bit like a car driver punishment passing every cyclist they see because they noticed some bloke riding through a red light sometime last week.
Not really though, no car drivers were harmed by stopping properly at a traffic light.
Round here its the coffin dodgers who stand at zebra crossings chatting away to an acquaintance who has just crossed the road.
Round here its the coffin dodgers who stand at the roadside chatting away to an acquaintance who just happened to be driving by.
One of GlennQuagmire’s matchsticks?
😊
Not guilty! 😉
Aye watch out Glenn, else I'll be after you in my NYCC minibus & my pink baseball cap!
By some of the replies on this I can just picture (have actually witnessed it anyway) some people who have said stuff like 'what are pedestrian crossings for then?'
Run this through your mind....
They run up to the yellow box with just one initial intention, that button is like a finger magnet & even if it said 'do not press', they'd be like Dougal off Father Ted. They just have this ingrained impulse imprinted in their heads to press the button. Unfortunately Mummy's not with them today so they have to cross the road on their own, but at least with the aid of a crossing. On the way to the crossing they haven't even looked up & down the road to check for traffic & haven't realised that the road is clear, they don't even care, safety is paramount! (which it is, obs)
The button is pressed with great enthusiasm & now It's a waiting game......'hurry up green man, light up ya bastid, I'm not crossing till you turn green'. Eventually after about 10 seconds of frustration, finger biting & anticipation, It's all systems go, 'BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP'... It's at this point that Mummy's boy looks right, looks left, looks right again....still not actually noticing/realising/registering that the road is still clear.
I've seen it, many times.
Ok, There's a good reason why we have crossings & I'm a regular user (you need them on Knaresborough Road) but for crying out loud, open your eyes. If you think It's unsafe to cross then press the button, If the roads clear & you still feel the need to ask for the help of the green man then you really shouldn't be out on your own.
It's a bit dispiriting to see that the forum is full of Mr Toads.
Always been that way. Very anti measures to protect cyclists
Maybe it's because people don't trust drivers when crossing the road (and maybe I feel that way because of the bumnugget that nearly ran me over on the way home from work this evening).
Walking along a busyish road, I need to cross a wideish side road. Same as every night, I walk up the side road a touch (to where the drop kerb is, which gives me better visibility) and check for traffic in all directions. There's nothing on the side road, traffic turning right is stationary and there's nothing in sight to turn left so I set off over the road.
Now bear in mind at this point I'm walking towards traffic turning left into the road I'm crossing, so I have a pretty good view of the clear road when I step off the kerb.
I'm more than halfway across - over the centre line - when a car comes down the road indicating to turn left. Given how far over the road I am, I keep going. Now I can appreciate that it's dark and I may have been hard to spot before he turned, but I'm far enough down the side road that he has plenty of room to stop when his headlights are pointing straight at me. He's also not going especially fast as it's a right angle turn, so we're not talking emergency stop here.
Oh no. This guy ain't stopping for no one. He cruises on past, maybe a couple of feet from where I've stepped back to. Slowly enough to look out the side window at the tirade of foul language and arm waving I'm spewing forth by this point.
And the best bit? The best bit is that the car behind him, who must have seen this all unfold (it's not THAT dark, it's a residential street with lights) rolls on past too. Because clearly I'd prefer to be stood in the middle of the road.
The traffic light crossing I'd just used outside work was fine though. Every cloud eh?
The OP isn’t talking about what you do when there is traffic about.
& for all those who think this is about being pro-car. Far from it. Have you never been stopped by a red light when you are on your bike?.. with the pedestrian 50 yards along the road, having crossed with the light on green , not having bothered to wait for it to change as there is nothing coming?
Have you never been stopped by a red light when you are on your bike?.. with the pedestrian 50 yards along the road, having crossed with the light on green , not having bothered to wait for it to change as there is nothing coming?
Yep, on a bike, in a car, in a van etc. just stop and chill, whats the rush? It's not as if those seconds are going to make a huge difference.
TJ, what exactly is your point because for the life of me I can't see where "anti measures to protect cyclists" comes into this discussion at all?
“anti measures to protect cyclists” comes into this discussion at all?
I'm guessing he means the amount of making progress petrol head, unfair I got caught speeding/parking illegally/getting held up posts that appear on here.
Have you never been stopped by a red light when you are on your bike?.. with the pedestrian 50 yards along the road, having crossed with the light on green , not having bothered to wait for it to change as there is nothing coming?
And if the pedestrian had waited, I'd still have to stop. I can't say it bothers me.
Dick head winds his window down and shouts “I’m indicating” to which I replied “It’s a pavement you **** idiot, pedestrians have right of way” this is why I press the buttons.
This is a bit like a car driver punishment passing every cyclist they see because they noticed some bloke riding through a red light sometime last week.
Wha? Yes I am endangering the lives of poor motorists by inconveniencing them in 14 second increments. In all seriousness I save that for when I’m driving my HGV. This is when get closer and closer to cars in an attempt to frighten them, risk their very existence and force them off the road. You know, like pressing a ****ing button.
The OP isn’t talking about what you do when there is traffic about.
I know, I just needed to vent and starting a new thread seemed excessive.
Walking along a busyish road, I need to cross a wideish side road. Same as every night, I walk up the side road a touch (to where the drop kerb is, which gives me better visibility) and check for traffic in all directions. There’s nothing on the side road, traffic turning right is stationary and there’s nothing in sight to turn left so I set off over the road.
This happens so frequently that I even went to the trouble of looking up and memorising the bit in the Highway Code that says that pedestrians have priority in this situation, so I can include the information in my pre-programmed "why don't you effing learn to drive" spiel.
The OP isn’t talking about what you do when there is traffic about.
Mebbe - but sometimes you think there is no traffic when there actually is, like there's a car going round a corner much faster than you thought possible, or you mistook which direction the traffic should be coming from due to some one way foolishness.
Of course a conscientious pedestrian, doing his sacred duty to not inconvenience the Masters Of The Road in any way whatsoever, could undertake a thorough analysis of every road situation they encounter. Or they could just be in the habit of always pressing the button and waiting for the green man.
@esselgruntfuttock - I'll be watching! And if I spot you I'll be sure to press that button 😋
But I tend to agree with what you're saying. If I'm looking at crossing a road, If I spot a gap I'll cross - it's not that difficult. Pedestrian crossings are useful when traffic is heavy, but if light then there's not much point pressing and waiting. It's not just about inconveniencing the driver, needless extra pollution when it can be avoided.
Lol, this hit my mind too. Pedestrians should take paid lessons on how to cross the street.
If there isn't such course available yet, let's start one. ha ha
Lol, this hit my mind too. Pedestrians should take paid lessons on how to cross the street.
If there isn’t such course available yet, let’s start one. ha ha
Great idea - fill the world with dangerous metal boxes speeding around, and then blame people who inadvertently get in their way - the ultimate "victim blaming".
Think once, think twice! Think... DON'T drive your car on the pavement!!!
I’m guessing he means the amount of making progress petrol head, unfair I got caught speeding/parking illegally/getting held up posts that appear on here.
And I'm still failing to see any relevance to this particular topic.
It’s not just about inconveniencing the driver, needless extra pollution when it can be avoided.
If the driver is concerned about pollution then there is a better solution.
And here we go...
The Pistonheads forum is ---------->
needless extra pollution when it can be avoided.
The bit you failed to grasp.
But why have an intelligent conversation when you can just be a prat?
[woke mode] can we call it a green person and not a green man? [/woke mode]
If the driver is concerned about pollution then there is a better solution.
Indeed, like walking. Which is what I do lots of, but I avoid stopping traffic unnecessarily. Unless, of course, it's a minibus being driven by esselgruntfuttock 😉
The bit you failed to grasp.
But why have an intelligent conversation when you can just be a prat?
The bit you failed to grasp.
But why have an intelligent conversation when you can just be a prat?
You cheeky young man!
So just to confirm, I'm a prat for crossing a road when it's safe and quiet. Okay, that makes sense I guess, I've been called a lot worse.
Unless, of course, it’s a minibus being driven by esselgruntfuttock 😉
GRRR!!
GRRR!!
Don't get annoyed, I'll buy you a coffee while you're waiting 🙂
Don’t get annoyed, I’ll buy you a coffee while you’re waiting
In the Costa down Starbeck? 🙂
I could ask why when I stopped at a zebra crossing this morning to let pedestrians across the bloke behind crashed into me.. ffs
In the Costa down Starbeck? 🙂
If it's the one next to the level crossing, there'll be enough time for three coffees and a game of chess!
So just to confirm, I’m a prat for crossing a road when it’s safe and quiet. Okay, that makes sense I guess, I’ve been called a lot worse.
Nope, not at all. I applaud your critical thinking and reasoned argument.
If only others followed your example.
*awaits another slapdown from a dank meme*
Nope, not at all. I applaud your critical thinking and reasoned argument.
If only others followed your example.
🙂 Ta. Every little helps, as they say. Well, at least Tesco says it. But seems like common sense to me.
