The bike riders are way worse that pedestrians. In my burb we have paid to install really nice bike paths along the major roads. The bikers ignore these bike paths and are hell bent on riding in the street causing everyone to have to serve around them.

Plus they have to wear their ridiculous biking costumes. You’re not in the Tour de France competing with the world’s best. You’re just an idiot blocking the road in a suburb. You don’t need that absurd costume.

+

By law in Florida a pedestrian has the right of way if they are in the crosswalk. Not so if they cross outside the crosswalk but if you hit one your insurance will pay. In my experience most of the pedestrian fatalities involved drunks wearing dark clothing trying to cross in an unlighted area where a reasonable person would not have attempted it. But upon occasion some idiot will blast through a crosswalk, drive on the shoulder or median, or even run up on the sidewalk to hit a pedestrian. If you walk or take a bike in traffic you are vulnerable.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Pedestrians in parking lots will walk right behind you

I'm curious. Where are they supposed to walk? The parking lots are usually set up so cars are nose to nose so the only place they can walk is behind the cars.

Curious? no, a little contentious is probably the better descriptor,

The reference is about pedestrians that walk behind a moving vehicle in a parking lot that is already in motion, backing out.

While we were taught pedestrians have the right of way, if the vehicles moving, common sense says you don't exert that right behind it...

HayesGreener, do you have a cite? That’s opposite of everything I found online.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Pedestrians in parking lots will walk right behind you

Interestingly enough, this happened to me today. Leaving Sam's Club, I returned the cart and was walking back to my car. A car that was sitting there parked, no lights or brake lites on suddenly went into reverse and came at me as I walked.

Obviously the driver was in a hurry, slammed it into reverse and took off without looking.

That's where the true problem lies.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Flash-LB,

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Pedestrians in parking lots will walk right behind you

I'm curious. Where are they supposed to walk? The parking lots are usually set up so cars are nose to nose so the only place they can walk is behind the cars.

If it were me and I was walking along and came across a car backing out of a parking space, I would suspend walking momentarily while said car left. Then, I would continue walking in the space formerly occupied by said car. I’m neither a lawyer nor a physicist so I’d prefer not to test the second law of physics, but that’s just me.

I don't know what the law is in NJ regarding pedestrian right of way. But I know this, if I hit a pedestrian with my vehicle (regardless of who has the legal right of way) I am going to be in deep shit one way or the other, either legally or civilly. So I am looking out for my own self interest by giving a pedestrian the right of way. Plus it's more important for me to not hurt or kill anyone than it is to be in the right.

Right of way. Right or wrong. None of this would really matter if on a case by case basis, both driver and pedestrian would treat each other with consideration, courtesy, respect and common sense. But no matter what, the pedestrian loses in a confrontation. As a pedestrian, I would err on the side of caution.

Liberals need rules because they have no common sense or consideration for fellow people - these rules dictate their behavior in that absence.

Here in Austin, especially in the worse parts (east side) colored people/murder hobos/crackheads/methheads/etc will purposely walk while the light is green staring down cars.

I see it a lot from young minority teens and old white homeless people, usually they even use purposeful "slow walk" acting cool while they jaywalk in front of a green light.


I had a crazed hobo one time crossing the street and he damn well knew it was green.

He was flipping a razor blade in his hand and giving the evil eye to everyone as he walked in front of all the cars that were now at a green light..

When I saw him walking he hadn't passed my car yet.

I moved fast and almost clipped him, my kid was with me and I was not in the mood to be stabbed/intimidated by a crazed murder hobo.

I half hoped the jackass would have kept walking and gained a Darwin Award, he would have deserved it.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Right of way. Right or wrong. None of this would really matter if on a case by case basis, both driver and pedestrian would treat each other with consideration, courtesy, respect and common sense. But no matter what, the pedestrian loses in a confrontation. As a pedestrian, I would err on the side of caution…

This is the truth.

While a driver should be thinking it would be really bad if I hit someone with my car, a pedestrian should be thinking it would be really bad if I got hit by a car.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
HayesGreener, do you have a cite? That’s opposite of everything I found online.

Florida Statute 316.130
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Sta...-0399/0316/0316.html

That says pedestrians do not have the right of way, if crossing against a “don’t walk” sign.

It has to work that way, otherwise the signals are meaningless.

quote:

As a pedestrian, I would err on the side of caution

See the movie "Death Race 2000".