Comments on: a post-fenderbender conversation

By: Mary G

Mary G — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:12:16 +0000

On my way to the MAX each morning I cross at an intersection with a stop sign and one of those
“Right turn permitted without stop” signs. I swear the sign says “Right turn permitted without stopping for pedestrians”- drivers actually accelerate towards the intersection. I’m just waiting for my chance to yell at the next guy who almost runs me down…

By: Barnaby/Ilmarinen

Barnaby/Ilmarinen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:31:38 +0000

Ugh, I had a coworker who didn’t get this (which is ironic, considering our profession, he was an architect though).

I routinely get honked at for crossing at the “unmarked” crosswalk in front of my building–the cowards wait till I’m past first and all passively-aggressively honk at my back…

And *then* there are the idiots who honk at me for stopping for the pedestrians in crosswalks! Man, pisses me off.

I yell, quite loudly, about cross-walks to them. I can yell pretty loud.

-B.

By: Grouchy Chris

Grouchy Chris — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:50:41 +0000

A few months ago a motorist shouted at me for crossing in front of his car. “It’s a crosswalk,” I yelled. “There’s no crosswalk here,” he yelled back. “It’s an intersection!” I yelled back back. Unfortunately, he didn’t hang around so that I could give him that URL.

And a few years ago, I crossed at a marked, mid-block crosswalk. It was marked not only on the road, but also by a big sign over the road that said “CROSSWALK” and had blinking yellow lights. Also, it was right in front of a school. And still she gave me a sarcastic “Thanks!” as she drove by.

By: Cam Sculpin

Cam Sculpin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:49:52 +0000

One point that struck me as weird: the guy actually said, “There’s no crosswalk marked!” That’s verbatim. Who talks like that? Furthermore, who talks like that and is wrong?

The conspiratoriality of his approach combined with his wrongheadedness rang a bell for me that I couldn’t identify at the time. Later I recognized that I’d been reminded of the times I’ve been approached by elderly racist white ladies who, for whatever reason, saw me as a nice well-bred younger white lady who will certainly agree with them about Those People about whom We All Secretly Know The Ugly Truth, Don’t We. Repellent.

By: Rechercher

Rechercher — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:30:56 +0000

Good.

God.

He must have never walked anywhere in his life.

Unbelievable.

By: Mia

Mia — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:09:46 +0000

This somehow reminds me of when I was in college and a friend and I would end up hurrying across a fairly busy street with only stop signs with “Pedestrians have right of waaaaaaay!” as our battle cry.

By: naomi

naomi — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:15:49 +0000

I’m glad no one appeared to be injured. It is incredible how many people do not believe in this “unmarked” crosswalk phenomenon.