People crossing the road at night

[4extreme]

[FONT=&quot]I need to Bitch/Rant. I was on my way home and the sun had just gone down behind the horizon. Sky was blue but everything looked black near the ground. I`m driving and west and some a$$hat was driving straight at me with high beams on. I flash mine a few time to get him to turn them down, he didn’t, they were bright! The road I was on has no street lights. I`m now temporary blinded as my eyes were re-adjusting to the darkness again. Up ahead is a cross walk( not far ). Well there was people walking across the road dressed entirely in dark non reflective clothing. They just barely got across the road I was probably 30 feet from the cross walk when I seen them on the side of the road. One guy, looked like someone old enough to have common sense, decided he was going to step back out onto the road in the crosswalk because( in my opinion) ‘I wasn’t slowing down for them’. He decided not too. Thank god! The reason I wasn’t`t slowing down was because I couldn’t`t see them. If there are any hunters on here you would know what I`m talking about when you are looking towards light in the evening and everything is dark below that light. If this guy would have stepped out onto the road I don`t think I would have had enough time to stop. I was only doing 60, but in this situation, reactions would have been slower than normal. In a court case I think it could go either way, if they were in the right of way he still would have been dead. But what is wrong with taking a few extra measures to make sure you are safe crossing the road or walking at night.[/FONT]

 

[seen46]

Same.... I've almost murdered a couple idiots this year as well. They Didn't even look up once, NOT EVEN A GLANCE!!! They just cross and assume everyone sees them, and can stop in time. IDK but when i was a kid, and to this day. I always assumed every car was driven by a blind madman, trying to kill me. This train of thought has kept me safe, many times.

 

[Lightningmike]

I have seen many pedestrians just step out assuming they have the right away... on a non lighted crosswalk.... i always remember something my mom told me when I started driving. Works with walkers as well.

"Just because you have the right of way doesn't mean you're right if you end up dead."

 

[papajake]

then there are the ones on their phones walking or driving don't have a clue about where they are

 

[FatGuy]

My problem in the country is the fawking clowns on bicycles on our narrow chitty back roads as I’m driving west into the sun.
almost clipped 3 of them with the enclosed because they feel the need to leap frog each other with their headphones in. Who wants to die in spandex

 

[Mike270412]

I've had heart attacks too many times to count. People walking/ hitchhiking on the side if the road wearing dark clothing. I Always suggest wearing something bright or reflective if you have to be on the road in the dark.

 

[snopro]

My beef is the kids that walk up to a crosswalk and hit the button as they are walking by it and then just step out into the intersection expecting 3400 lb vehicles to just stop on a dime. They must have a death wish or something.

 

[Bnorth]

We were at Superstore the other day and wife was backing out of a parking stall so reverse lights on car moving in reverse and a lady leads her whole family right behind the car out of a blind spot due to a big SUV parked next to us. They just waltzed through. Wife's car is older and basic so no backup cam or reverse sensors if it's not in the mirrors you can't see it. It's like people just assume everyone has that crap now so we'll see them and stop because their time is so much more important than ours. I was taught to be careful in parking lots and if a car is started backing out stop out of the way and let them go.

 

[rodney1960]

My beef is standing at a cross walk, looking people right in the eye and they dont stop. 20 cars rip by and nobody will stop.

Maybe that's why people just walk out in front? I just wait cause I dont want to get run over, but car drivers can be pricks to pedestrians. A lot of the time they are driving way too fast in residential areas. Slow down and it's easier to stop....

 

[4extreme]

My beef is standing at a cross walk, looking people right in the eye and they dont stop. 20 cars rip by and nobody will stop.

Maybe that's why people just walk out in front? I just wait cause I dont want to get run over, but car drivers can be pricks to pedestrians. A lot of the time they are driving way too fast in residential areas. Slow down and it's easier to stop....

I get this. I always stop for people in cross walks because thats where i would like them to cross. But those that to lazy to walk another 50 ft to get to cross walk is another story. And this was at night with no lighting in the area

 

[rodney1960]

I get this. I always stop for people in cross walks because thats where i would like them to cross. But those that to lazy to walk another 50 ft to get to cross walk is another story. And this was at night with no lighting in the area

Yeah at night time you definitely want to make sure that you are seen.

 

[X-it]

People are "dead" wrong proving they are right. Back to the "old" basics taught to us as children, look both ways before crossing the street, your life depends on it. Some towns and countries aren't up on what pedestrians think their rights are.

 

[linksys]

We were at Superstore the other day and wife was backing out of a parking stall so reverse lights on car moving in reverse and a lady leads her whole family right behind the car out of a blind spot due to a big SUV parked next to us. They just waltzed through. Wife's car is older and basic so no backup cam or reverse sensors if it's not in the mirrors you can't see it. It's like people just assume everyone has that crap now so we'll see them and stop because their time is so much more important than ours. I was taught to be careful in parking lots and if a car is started backing out stop out of the way and let them go.

I took a young drivers of Canada course many years a go and I still remember the words of the instructor. "If you can't park where you will be driving forward later, then do the backing up while the area is familiar to you" Meaning if you need to back up to get out of your parking area, you should back into that area as soon as you get there. You are familiar with the surroundings. Later, you have no idea what could have changed in the surroundings. Did someone park behind you? Did someone leave a bike or toys behind the vehicle? Are there people walking by?
Not judging your driving skills at all, but this is exactly why you should have backed in...if possible. I feel it was good advice then and I still try and use it today.

 

[Ricki Bobby]

People are "dead" wrong proving they are right. Back to the "old" basics taught to us as children, look both ways before crossing the street, your life depends on it. Some towns and countries aren't up on what pedestrians think their rights are.

I was taught this as a child as well and so were my three kids.