Pedestrians endangering themselves.

Lando Griffin

Just saw the threads about cyclists misbehaving on the roads but I would like to highlight a common problem getting worse as more and more people take to walking be it economic reasons or because Operation Transformation is back on the telly and people are trying to loose the flab.
Anyway these people show scant regard for other road users and manys the time have put themselves in great danger.
There last evening as I was pulling up in a traffic queue a young lady without looking crossed the street in front of me forcing me to stop abruptly and nearly causing the car behind to slam forceibly into my rear.
Off she went with her smart phone ominious to event.
The local council installed a modern Zebra crossing complete with ambr flashing lights in the big town where I travel to work each day but people still think "a feck it I ll cross here 10 meters away from it in front of on coming traffic"
Another evening as I was driving on a national route and as evening crept upon us darkening visibility I spotted 2 women power walking 2 abrest dressed in black and had to swerve at the last second to avoid them. I got such a fright I pulled in and reported the to the local garda station as endangering themselves.
Dont get me started on joggers refusing to use footpaths instead of running on the street oft with dark clothes.
Should pedestrians be fine or charged where they are seen to endanger themselves or others ie inappropriate attire or walking out in front of on coming traffic.

I think they should be better and stricter policing of these people.

summerskin

Lando Griffin wrote: »

There last evening as I wad pulling up in a traffic queue a young lady without looking crossed the street in front of me forcing me to stop abruptly and nearly causing the car behind to slam forceibly into my rear.
Off she went with her smart phone ominious to event.

What a perfectly cromulent word to use...

Lando Griffin

summerskin wrote: »

What a perfectly cromulent word to use...

The wonders of smart technology when oblivious becomes ominous?

Franticfrank

Should pedestrians be fine or charged where they are seen to endanger themselves or others ie inappropriate attire or walking out in front of on coming traffic.

No.

Sure there are some idiots who mindlessly wander out in front of traffic. Still, there is a fundamental lack of pedestrian crossings all over this country. Walk around Paris and compare it to Dublin. You can cross at every single intersection. I'm a pedestrian and Ireland is built for the car. I find myself waiting constantly for up to 5 minutes in the rain as car after car passes by. Why shouldn't I attempt to cross when everything is stacked against me as a pedestrian?

ThisRegard

De wurse ting is dat dey don't even wear safety gear or pay road tax when crossing de ro-wad.

amiable

Franticfrank wrote: »

No.

Sure there are some idiots who mindlessly wander out in front of traffic. Still, there is a fundamental lack of pedestrian crossings all over this country. Walk around Paris and compare it to Dublin. You can cross at every single intersection. I'm a pedestrian and Ireland is built for the car. I find myself waiting constantly for up to 5 minutes in the rain as car after car passes by. Why shouldn't I attempt to cross when everything is stacked against me as a pedestrian?

Are you crossing the M50?

Dravokivich

They're just gobshítes Lando. No need to be getting worked up by them. The problem is they've right of way regardless of where on the road, even with pedestrian crossings just 10 metres from'em.

Franticfrank wrote: »

No.

Sure there are some idiots who mindlessly wander out in front of traffic. Still, there is a fundamental lack of pedestrian crossings all over this country. Walk around Paris and compare it to Dublin. You can cross at every single intersection. I'm a pedestrian and Ireland is built for the car. I find myself waiting constantly for up to 5 minutes in the rain as car after car passes by. Why shouldn't I attempt to cross when everything is stacked against me as a pedestrian?

The only problem I have with trying to cross the road as a pedestrian, is by roundabouts and that's because a lot of people don't indicate properly.

SunnyDub1

Lando Griffin wrote: »

There last evening as I was pulling up in a traffic queue a young lady without looking crossed the street in front of me forcing me to stop abruptly and nearly causing the car behind to slam forceibly into my rear.

If that was the case, you where probably driving to fast:rolleyes:.
You should slow down when approching pedestrians crossings/lights etc whether you have the right of way or not.

At the end of the day, you knock someone down it will be you behind the wheel, you had the control not the pedestrian.
The hurt or even killed pedestrians will never be blamed.

As a diver though I see where you are coming from and it is very annoying !

dan1895

Although i agree there are idiots out there crossing without looking and running across a road 10 metres before a crossing, a lot of the crossings that are in place don't make any sense.
You can sometimes be waiting for nearly 5 minutes for the green man, the one at the end of my road is like this. There are others in Dublin city centre where the traffic going one way has a red light, the traffic going the other way has a red light and the pedestrians have a red light!!

judgefudge

I've seen a fair few eijit pedestrians and a lot of good ones.

Same as anything in this life... There are bad motorists/cyclists/pedestrians and good motorists/cyclists/pedestrians.

I think if a pedestrian somehow causes a car crash then yeah they should be held responsible. Just like anyone else.

MurdyWurdy

I drive to and from work and the amount of crazy pedestrians out there is mad. I've had so many close shaves of people running out in front of me, especially in the dark evenings wearing all black. It's a bit nerve wracking.

I've also found driving through certain areas that there are a lot of old people who walk out in front of cars. At one particularly junction every few days there is an elderly person (not the same one) who walks out in front of cars, again wearing all black. I'm not sure if they realise that they can't scoot across the road like they used to but often they are very hard to see. This junction is right next to a pedestrian crossing too but for some reason it's common for elderly people to just shuffle across the junction diagonally and expect cars to stop.

Gongoozler

Finally. we've got a thread now for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Ah good old equality.
pedestrians are annoying when they do that. can't say it happens more than any other rule breaking by any other road user.

Lando Griffin

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

If that was the case, you where probably driving to fast:rolleyes:.
You should slow down when approching pedestrians crossings/lights etc whether you have the right of way or not.

At the end of the day, you knock someone down it will be you behind the wheel, you had the control not the pedestrian.
The hurt or even killed pedestrians will never be blamed.

As a diver though I see where you are coming from and it is very annoying !

The nearest lights was approx 50 meters away and I was not going fast, more slowing down to take my place in the queue of traffic in front when she just wandered out in front of me.

xLexie

I find people with kids and buggies to be particularly reckless. Leading the kids out behind a reversing car, pushing the buggy out in front onto the road first.

Franticfrank

amiable wrote: »

Are you crossing the M50?

I wish I was. It was a busy crossroads in a city suburb.

westies4ever

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

As a diver

Must be terrible flooding down your way.

Gongoozler

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

At one particularly junction every few days there is an elderly person (not the same one) who walks out in front of cars, again wearing all black. I'm not sure if they realise that they can't scoot across the road like they used to but often they are very hard to see.

Ninja grannies!!

Lando Griffin

Gongoozler wrote: »

Ninja grannies!!

Agest:mad:

MurdyWurdy

and sexist - some of them are ninja grandads!

Stark

amiable wrote: »

Are you crossing the M50?

If you experimented and waited obediently for the green man at quite a few pedestrian crossings in Dublin, you could be waiting that long. Most people don't. The ones at a crossroads where there's no crossing on one leg, so you have to cross on the other 3 legs, waiting for a green man on each leg, you'd definitely be waiting at least 5 minutes unless you do what everyone does and jaywalk directly across.

Capt'n Midnight

Walkers should be forced to wear helmets and hi-viz

if they aren't interested in their own protection why should motorists look out for them :mad: