Irish drivers

40YardScreamer

Walking across the street today. Was in a bit of a day dream, thought I had plenty of time to make it across but didnt judge the speed of a bmw properly. Had to run across in the end. i should have waited sure, other people were walkign across anyway. However, one thing I noticed was that the BMW sped up when he saw us and broke at the last minute just to give us all a scare. When I managed to get to the otherside I looked around and the driver said 'do you WANT to get smacked by a car??' We would have had plenty of time to get across the road in no mad rush but he decided to teach us all a lesson 'wait for the little green man'. What a w****r

RE*AC*TOR

This man sounds like a legend.

Did you want to get hit by a car? Did you have right of way? Pedestrian crossing, green man?

Crucifix

While his car was stopped you should ran at his car rolled over the bonnet then moaned in faux agony and saying "I'm gonna sue, I'm gonna sue".

40YardScreamer

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

This man sounds like a legend.

Did you want to get hit by a car? Did you have right of way? Pedestrian crossing, green man?

Hardly a legend. These bloody bmw drivers, they think they own the bloody road. Dont often feel like head butting someone but he was nearly dragged out by his silk tie and got it from me.

johnnyrotten

Unforunately this is a sign of the times.
I was driving southbound on the M1 on saturday in bumper to bumper traffic. Next thing a car speeds down the hard shoulder undertaking everyone including a Garda car. Of course the sheep started to follow and soon there was scores of cars doing the same. What did the Gardai do?... Nothing

Pherekydes

You should have made allowances for the fact that he was a Beemer driver.

RE*AC*TOR

40YardScreamer wrote:

Dont often feel like head butting someone but he was nearly dragged out by his silk tie and got it from me.

What a loss to society it would have been if you were hit. :rolleyes:

40YardScreamer

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

What a loss to society it would have been if you were hit. :rolleyes:

Good for you, you're very clever. Thanks for playing

lodgepole

Crossing the road in front of traffic and speeding up to give people like that a "scare" are both pretty stupid things to do. Just as you can never tell whether car may be travelling faster than it appears, the driver couldn't have been sure that something may not have gone wrong with his little speed up/brake fast stunt.

RE*AC*TOR

40YardScreamer wrote:

Good for you, you're very clever. Thanks for playing

But seriously, you do realise a road IS a dangerous place? This country is absolutely crazy for people just walking out onto the road without looking.

I was in warsaw recently, there were people observing pedestrian lights late at night with practically no traffic on the roads. Its a criminal offence to walk out onto the road against a pedestrian light there. It was a whole new experience, compared to the chaos of O'Connell St for example.

40YardScreamer

Lodgepole wrote:

Crossing the road in front of traffic and speeding up to give people like that a "scare" are both pretty stupid things to do. Just as you can never tell whether car may be travelling faster than it appears, the driver couldn't have been sure that something may not have gone wrong with his little speed up/brake fast stunt.

Well thats my point. I drive myself and am very cautious when pedestrians walk out in front of me. No way would I do what he did. As someone mentioned before, anyone could have purposely ran into him to feign injury and perhaps claim for trauma. However, more seriously, he could have killed someone. I'm not throwing all the blame onto him but I wasnt intentionally trying to be wreckless. Its also not unreasonable to expect drivers to nnot be speeding down a city centre street like he was into pedestrians. I was on the far side of the crowd of pedestrians. Thats what really shocked me. If he was to have hit me, he would have taken several others aswell.

40YardScreamer

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

But seriously, you do realise a road IS a dangerous place? This country is absolutely crazy for people just walking out onto the road without looking.

I was in warsaw recently, there were people observing pedestrian lights late at night with practically no traffic on the roads. Its a criminal offence to walk out onto the road against a pedestrian light there. It was a whole new experience, compared to the chaos of O'Connell St for example.

I'm not disputing that. I know I was wrong to do it but what he did was an offence worthy of losing his licence in my view.

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

Walking across the street today. Was in a bit of a day dream, thought I had plenty of time to make it across but didnt judge the speed of a bmw properly. Had to run across in the end. i should have waited sure, other people were walkign across anyway. However, one thing I noticed was that the BMW sped up when he saw us and broke at the last minute just to give us all a scare. When I managed to get to the otherside I looked around and the driver said 'do you WANT to get smacked by a car??' We would have had plenty of time to get across the road in no mad rush but he decided to teach us all a lesson 'wait for the little green man'. What a w****r

I agree with the driver. You're the dumba*s. Roads are for cars - paths are for people. You even admitted you weren't paying attention. I bet the driver had it under control.

Dizzyblabla

40YardScreamer wrote:

I'm not throwing all the blame onto him but I wasnt intentionally trying to be wreckless.

if you weren't intentionally trying to be wreckless, then you would have walked probably about 50meters up the road to the nearest traffic lights, where you're supposed to cross the road. OK, the guy shouldn't have started to speed towards you, but you shouldn't have crossed the road there in the first place.
Over the weekend it was madness, drunken louts pushing each other onto the road, or just blantantly walking out in front of me to cross the road. I don't blame the bmw driver at all, it can be very frustrating trying to get someplace and having everyone just walk out in front of you as pedestrians have 'right of way'...

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

I agree with the driver. You're the dumba*s. Roads are for cars - paths are for people. You even admitted you weren't paying attention. I bet the driver had it under control.

Crap. You sound like a wreckless driver aswell. Also you bet the driver had it under control? How could you possibly know that without being there? Or do you drive with your eyes closed? Several people had to dart across the road. I was on the otherside of the crowd and nearly had to jump the the foothpath. Also, roads are for people, not wreckless drivers.

40YardScreamer

Dizzyblabla wrote:

if you weren't intentionally trying to be wreckless, then you would have walked probably about 50meters up the road to the nearest traffic lights, where you're supposed to cross the road. OK, the guy shouldn't have started to speed towards you, but you shouldn't have crossed the road there in the first place.
Over the weekend it was madness, drunken louts pushing each other onto the road, or just blantantly walking out in front of me to cross the road. I don't blame the bmw driver at all, it can be very frustrating trying to get someplace and having everyone just walk out in front of you as pedestrians have 'right of way'...

We were at the traffic lights. There was no traffic coming, he came around the corner at fast speed. I'll even tell you where it was. The junction between harcourt street, st. stephens green. He was coming up earlsfort terrace. He was definitely going very fast.

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

Crap. You sound like a wreckless driver aswell. Also you bet the driver had it under control? How could you possibly know that without being there? Or do you drive with your eyes closed? Several people had to dart across the road. I was on the otherside of the crowd and nearly had to jump the the foothpath. Also, roads are for people, not wreckless drivers.

No, roads are for cars. Ever heard of either 1) Waiting for the green man, or 2) waiting until it's safe to cross? Because you did neither. The funny thing is, they teach that in school when you're 8. I guess you were out sick that week....

I hate dozy prats like you, when they just wander aimlessly like a pack of sheep in front of me. I bet you were probably on your mobile too.

Hobbes

johnnyrotten wrote:

Unforunately this is a sign of the times.
I was driving southbound on the M1 on saturday in bumper to bumper traffic. Next thing a car speeds down the hard shoulder undertaking everyone including a Garda car. Of course the sheep started to follow and soon there was scores of cars doing the same. What did the Gardai do?... Nothing

Yea I think you need a special stone cutters badge to use the hard shoulder as your own private road. If they put 5 points on your license for that 80% of the muppets on the roads would be gone within a month.

I agree with the driver. You're the dumba*s. Roads are for cars - paths are for people. You even admitted you weren't paying attention. I bet the driver had it under control.

Actually we live in a pedestrian orientated country. If the beemer had hit him even if he was jaywalking the car driver would of gotten in trouble especially seeing as he actualy accelerated.

If he had learnt the rules of the road he would know the correct response was to slow down. I can't wait for the retesting law to kick in again and get a lot of these idiots off the road.

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

No, roads are for cars. Ever heard of either 1) Waiting for the green man, or 2) waiting until it's safe to cross? Because you did neither. The funny thing is, they teach that in school when you're 8. I guess you were out sick that week....

I hate dozy prats like you, when they just wander aimlessly like a pack of sheep in front of me. I bet you were probably on your mobile too.

FYI, it was safe to cross until this maniac decided to give us all a scare. I dont think you're considering just how wreckless he was. We all would have clearly made it across the road with atleast a 4 second gap if he was driving as he should have. Let me guess, you wait for the green man every time you cross the road? If not, then you must really hate yourself.

The OP

Hobbes wrote:

Actually we live in a pedestrian orientated country. If the beemer had hit him even if he was jaywalking the car driver would of gotten in trouble especially seeing as he actualy accelerated.

I'm fully aware of that, and that's a stupid risk the driver took.

But my point is, that I have zero sympathy for the flocks of sheep in the city centre who wander aimlessly in front of cars. If they hit, it's their own dumb fault IMO. The safe-cross-code isn't that complex to grasp.

RE*AC*TOR

40YardScreamer wrote:

There was no traffic coming, he came around the corner at fast speed.

this is a contradiction of your orignal statement...

40YardScreamer wrote:

didnt judge the speed of a bmw properly.

you either saw it and didn't judge its speed correctly or you didn't see it until he came around the corner fast.. which was it?

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

I'm fully aware of that, and that's a stupid risk the driver took.

But my point is, that I have zero sympathy for the flocks of sheep in the city centre who wander aimlessly in front of cars. If they hit, it's their own dumb fault IMO. The safe-cross-code isn't that complex to grasp.

You seem to think that I had milliseconds to get across the road when I decided to go. I had well enough time. The bmw driver decided to cut that down as much as he could. You are missing the serious issue here.

40YardScreamer

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

this is a contradiction of your orignal statement...



you either saw it and didn't judge its speed correctly or you didn't see it until he came around the corner fast.. which was it?

Point taken, he was coming around the corner and I judged it to be ok to cross. As everyone had.

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

FYI, it was safe to cross until this maniac decided to give us all a scare.

So in other words, it wasn't safe, because there was a chance a car could have come around the corner, with no red lights to stop it.

You also said you were in a day dream, so I'm inclined to think you just crossed with the herd as oppossed to assessing the situatuion yourself.

I have never had that happen to me, because I'm always aware of my surroundings - I cross at pedestrian crossings, or I wait until it IS clear - not when a bunch of stupid sheep start to move in one direction, and I follow suit. I assess the situation for myself and I don't daydream when crossing roads. It's not difficult.

90% of pedestrians get knocked down within 100 yards of a pedestrian crossing.

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

Point taken, he was coming around the corner and I judged it to be ok to cross. As everyone had.

Ha! So you did see him before you crossed. That's not what you implied here:

"There was no traffic coming..."

lodgepole

So disregarding the original posters ability to weigh up the situation, you think it's okay for a car to accelerate towards pedestrians if those pedestrians are acting carelessly?

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

You seem to think that I had milliseconds to get across the road when I decided to go. I had well enough time.

But you admitted in your first post that you "didnt judge the speed of a bmw properly" - so it was your poor judgement that caused it, added to the fact that you said you were daydreaming, and you didn't even wait for a green man. Seems pretty obvious who's fault it is.

Hmm, let's see who's fault it is:
1) The driver who was seen coming by the pedestrians, and had a green light giving him right of way.
2) The self-confessed daydreamer who decided to cross in front of a moving car, without a green man, even though they saw the car coming. Add to this the pedestrian made a speed judgment of the car while daydreaming.

Point taken, he was coming around the corner and I judged it to be ok to cross. As everyone had.

Ah, the ol' sheep theory confirmed. "But everyone else did it too!"

johnnyrotten

Pedestrians and animals have the right of way on the road people.
Hit the pedestrian - face the consequences

The OP

Lodgepole wrote:

So disregarding the original posters ability to weigh up the situation, you think it's okay for a car to accelerate towards pedestrians if those pedestrians are acting carelessly?

No. I think they should brake.
But I have no sympathy for dumb pedestrians acting carelessly if they get knocked down. I also believe the driver had it under control, and had given himself enough time to stop completely if a sheep strayed from the flock.

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

But you admitted in your first post that you "didnt judge the speed of a bmw properly" - so it was your poor judgement that caused it, added to the fact that you said you were daydreaming, and you didn't even wait for a green man. Seems pretty obvious who's fault it is.

Hmm, let's see who's fault it is:
1) The driver who was seen coming by the pedestrians, and had a green light giving him right of way.
2) The self-confessed daydreamer who decided to cross in front of a moving car, without a green man, even though they saw the car coming. Add to this the pedestrian made a speed judgment of the car while daydreaming.



Ah, the ol' sheep theory confirmed. "But everyone else did it too!"

I never said I was just following the pack. I looked and saw a car coming around the corner. If any of you guys know the street, you'll know that the bmw had no right to be anywhere near the crowd of pedestrians from where he was coming from in that space of time.

The OP

johnnyrotten wrote:

Pedestrians and animals have the right of way on the road people.
Hit the pedestrian - face the consequences

I understand that, but I don't agree with it, which is my point. Why do we always have to cater for the lowest common denominator?

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

No. I think they should brake.
But I have no sympathy for dumb pedestrians acting carelessly if they get knocked down. I also believe the driver had it under control, and had given himself enough time to stop completely if a sheep strayed from the flock.

How could you know if he had it under control or not? I'm telling you that he nearly hit someone. If you think that its ok because he managed to stop before hitting me (other side of the crowd) then you shouldnt be driving.

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

I understand that, but I don't agree with it, which is my point. Why do we always have to cater for the lowest common denominator?

ok, thats just plain silly. Its catering for 'people'. The speed limit of the city centre is going to come down to 30kph very shortly. Do you know why that is?

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

ok, thats just plain silly. Its catering for 'people'. The speed limit of the city centre is going to come down to 30kph very shortly. Do you know why that is?

To cater for the lowest common denominator? i.e. Pedestrians who cross in front of cars and cause accidents.

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

To cater for the lowest common denominator? i.e. Pedestrians who cross in front of cars and cause accidents.

The rules of the road will tell you that cars drivers cause accidents not pedestrians. You've got it all backwards mate. If you are driving safely, you wont knock someone down. You especially wont if your driving safely in the situation which arose today for me. You need to read the rules of the road. They are not designed to allow people to be wreckless. They are designed to stop drivers from being wreckless.

The OP

Listen to yourself, 40YardScreamer. You were daydreaming, and you walked in front of a car that YOU SAW COMING, whilst also defying the pedestrian lights which displayed a Red man. But hey, here's hoping more rules & legislation imposed on the rest of us will protect you from your own stupidity in the future.
Maybe you should campaign for a sign to be put up at that junction: "Careful now, there might be a car on the road, of all places", or maybe a "Please wait for green man" sign.

I have no time for stupid, dozy people. It's the reason we have so many rules & disclaimers: because we have to cater for the dumbest person around, in case they do something stupid. "Please do not drink this bleach"

Kiera

40YardScreamer wrote:

The rules of the road will tell you that cars drivers cause accidents not pedestrians. You've got it all backwards mate. If you are driving safely, you wont knock someone down. You especially wont if your driving safely in the situation which arose today for me. You need to read the rules of the road. They are not designed to allow people to be wreckless. They are designed to stop drivers from being wreckless.

What are traffic lights for? If you are stupid enough to walk across the road while a car is coming towards then you deserve a smack of it. Just because you think you know exactly how fast the car is going doesn’t mean you are right. You were the dozy idiot for crossing the road while a car was driving towards you. You were in town where there are loads of traffic lights, try using them next time!!

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

Listen to yourself, 40YardScreamer. You were daydreaming, and you walked in front of a car that YOU SAW COMING, whilst also defying the pedestrian lights which displayed a Red man. But hey, here's hoping more rules & legislation imposed on the rest of us will protect you from your own stupidity in the future.
Maybe you should campaign for a sign to be put up at that junction: "Careful now, there might be a car on the road, of all places", or maybe a "Please wait for green man" sign.

I have no time for stupid, dozy people. It's the reason we have so many rules & disclaimers: because we have to cater for the dumbest person around, in case they do something stupid. "Please do not drink this bleach"

I admire the way you use the pedestrian lights everytime you cross the road. Well done. Let me add for the 1 millionth time that I did not just walk out in front of a car. I crossed the road without him being near me. You cant grasp that can you?

40YardScreamer

Kiera wrote:

What are traffic lights for? If you are stupid enough to walk across the road while a car is coming towards then you deserve a smack of it. Just because you think you know exactly how fast the car is going doesn’t mean you are right. You were the dozy idiot for crossing the road while a car was driving towards you. You were in town where there are loads of traffic lights, try using them next time!!

Thanks, you too have missed the point though.

The OP

Kiera wrote:

What are traffic lights for? If you are stupid enough to walk across the road while a car is coming towards then you deserve a smack of it. Just because you think you know exactly how fast the car is going doesn’t mean you are right. You were the dozy idiot for crossing the road while a car was driving towards you. You were in town where there are loads of traffic lights, try using them next time!!

Here here.

But '40YardScreamer' will probably just say: "but there was no sign telling me not to run in front of a moving vehicle! How was I suppossed to know? We need to slow cars down more, so traffic moves even slower in the city. That's the solution! Because I refuse to obey the traffic lights!! I demand right of way over moving vehicles on the road"

lol - idiot.

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

I crossed the road without him being near me. You cant grasp that can you?

Eh, no. You admitted twice that you misjudged the situation.

Kiera

40YardScreamer wrote:

Thanks, you too have missed the point though.

No I haven’t. You walked out onto a main road with an oncoming car and come on here to bitch about it thiking people will say you’re right!

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

Here here.

But '40YardScreamer' will probably just say: "but there was no sign telling me not to run in front of a moving vehicle! How was I suppossed to know? We need to slow cars down more, so traffic moves even slower in the city. That's the solution! Because I refuse to obey the traffic lights!! I demand right of way over moving vehicles on the road"

lol - idiot.

When did I say this? This is a type of attitude that boils my blood. Putting words into other peoples mouths as thats the only way you can get your point across. I know the rules of the road, I know hwo the traffic lights work, I also know that when it is clear to walk I will walk. Are you saying that you dont?

Vegeta

40YardScreamer wrote:

The rules of the road will tell you that cars drivers cause accidents not pedestrians. You've got it all backwards mate. If you are driving safely, you wont knock someone down. You especially wont if your driving safely in the situation which arose today for me. You need to read the rules of the road. They are not designed to allow people to be wreckless. They are designed to stop drivers from being wreckless.

Not true, if someone, say a blind and deaf guy walks out in front of your car and you are driving by the rules of the road, you're screwed, if he walks out close enough even if only doin 50kph you'll still hit him even driving by the rules of the road. Yes people have the right of way but if someone steps off a curb or path 2 meters in front of your car you're screwed.

A kid was killed here in Limerick before xmas cos he walked out in front of a car in a 100kph zone, driver didn't even get to brake the kid gave him that little room.

I don't agree with what the driver in your story did.

The OP

It happens me all the time when I drive through Dublin (but I do slow down) - flocks of people start crossing the road when I'm coming towards them from a small distance, and it pisses me off. Each time, I have to almost stop to wait for them all, so none of them judged the situation right.
I have to slow down because these idiots can't wait 30 extra secs for a green man - I admit, I HAVE to do it, as I wouldn't accelerate for safety reasons, but why should I have to cater to these dozy goons, when its not my fault?

Vegeta

40YardScreamer wrote:

When did I say this? This is a type of attitude that boils my blood. Putting words into other peoples mouths as thats the only way you can get your point across. I know the rules of the road, I know hwo the traffic lights work, I also know that when it is clear to walk I will walk. Are you saying that you dont?

well it obviously wasn't clear to walk when there was a BMW coming!

DublinWriter

40YardScreamer wrote:

Walking across the street today. Was in a bit of a day dream...

Well there you go then. You decide to cross one of Dublin's busiest roads when the signal was red and while you were in la-la-land...

...and as both a driver *and* a pedestrian, I actually obey traffic lights and don't come on here to bitch about the consequences when I don't obey them.

Perhaps you should have called this thread "Irish Pedestrians"

The OP

40YardScreamer wrote:

When did I say this?

I'm summarising your posts.

40YardScreamer

Vegeta wrote:

Not true, if someone, say a blind and deaf guy walks out in front of your car and you are driving by the rules of the road, you're screwed, if he walks out close enough even if only doin 50kph you'll still hit him even driving by the rules of the road. Yes people have the right of way but if someone steps off a curb or path 2 meters in front of your car you're screwed.

A kid was killed here in Limerick before xmas cos he walked out in front of a car in a 100kph zone, driver didn't even get to brake the kid gave him that little room.

I don't agree with what the driver in your story did.

I went on the hibernian advanced driving course about 2 years ago. It was highlighting the causes of accidents and who is to blame and why. It made a valid point that firstly the enviroment is never at fault for the accident, it may only be a percentage to blame but not enough to put all the blame on. Secondly, in a situation like you just said, the driver is at fault because, even though the speed limit allows him to travel at such a speed. He has to be able to break in time for anything that might get in his way.

40YardScreamer

The OP wrote:

It happens me all the time when I drive through Dublin (but I do slow down) - flocks of people start crossing the road when I'm coming towards them from a small distance, and it pisses me off. Each time, I have to almost stop to wait for them all, so none of them judged the situation right.
I have to slow down because these idiots can't wait 30 extra secs for a green man - I admit, I HAVE to do it, as I wouldn't accelerate for safety reasons, but why should I have to cater to these dozy goons, when its not my fault?

Well, I think this is what you had in your mind when I posted this. Its not the same situation as I didnt just walk out in front of the car. I know what your saying as I drive myself and it happens. I too slow down and give the right of way and it annoys me. But in this situation the driver behaved appaulingly. I have no doubt that if there was a garda around, he would have ended up in court. This is not a typical 'pedestrians are in my way' situation.

40YardScreamer

Vegeta wrote:

well it obviously wasn't clear to walk when there was a BMW coming!

it was clear to walk.