I was watching traffic this morning. Each day, I take a train into the city and then walk half an hour out to work. That half hour is a time of contemplation, observation, and more than a little headbanging as I walk down the quieter streets with my MP3 player. However, I digress. This morning, I was watching traffic... a big pack of cars were stopped at a pedestrian crossing, and when the light turned green, they were off! I tell you, they reminded me of some pack of predatory animals... I confess my perception is somewhat biased: I am a pedestrian, I do not drive, and the thousands of road-crossings I have performed have taught me to regard cars as the enemy. Cars run red lights, cars disregard pedestrian crossings, cars are always in a rush, cars are big and scary and they kill people.
I have a theory about crossing roads. I believe that it is actually unsafe to wait for cars to stop. Because they won't. Which of these two options sounds safer:
a) Hoping that a small set of coloured lights will be sufficient to stop a vehicle moving at 80km/hr.
b) Crossing the road when there's no traffic in sight.
I go with "b" every time.
5 comments:
Me? Wear red? You mean... stop wearing black? Hmmm... Nah. Don't like that idea!
Hmm, I wouldn't go with be IF however, it happened to be a railway crossing, ya just cannot hear a train coming.
As a nurse I get people coming in after car accidents, both from cars or as pedestrians v's a car, and most of the time, if it involves a traffic light intersection it has been due to the person driving going through the red light. So, I agree with you.
When I drive, I do not go through a green light until I have checked I have a clear way to go through, meaning, I won't be hit by that person who does run red lights.
Much safer to fly I reckon!!!
Im a good driver Stace...I dun only look for green lights, I look for ppl and all sorts of other things ard. I always do that.
Keshi.
I don't drive either, stace. My thing on a pedestrian crossing is always to make eye contact with the driver so I KNOW FOR SURE that they will stop!!
-with you on valentines day, by the way :).
Stace: I vote for red...or at least black and red. I KNOW my vote counts for a lot...
Motorists have learned to be aggressive with each other. They don't have the freedom pedestrians do and they're governed by traffic lights and stuff.
Pedestrians are just another impediment on their way to nowhere or wherever it is they're going.
I think Lee's right -- never step out right away when you've got the green light and always make eye contact with the driver of a car.
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