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Stopping at zebra crossings

  • 17-05-2019 05:40PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭


    I approached a pedestrian crossing.
    There was people there wanting to cross, so I stopped at the threshold of the crossing and the people crossed.


    Further up the road, at a red light, a man got out of his car with a face redder than the stop light, banged on the back window as he approached the front of the car and tried to open my door.


    He roared, "I nearly went into the fucking back of you, we have right of way on the road, the pedestrians have to wait" ... I kept saying that we have to yield to pedestrians at yellow beacons but he kept getting angrier and angrier and saying how he'll smash the windows in and to come out and face him like a grown up. He said "he'll smash me up including the skank there" (a girl I work with I was giving a lift home to).



    Surely I was in the right, at amber beacons you can only proceed if there are no pedestrians....


    I notice it a lot myself when I go to pedestrian crossings with amber beacons >99.999% of drivers will plough on and expect me to wait for a break in traffic and blare the horn if I have the temerity to walk out.


    I noticed I was in Poland and cars would robotically and religiously stop at ALL pdestrian crossings. I remember being drunk and standing at the crossing in Kraków and texting on my phone, there were cars sitting at the crossing one beeped then a woman pedestrian explained and laughed with (at? :P ) me saying that I was holding up the cars and they were stopped waiting for me.


    Later on when I sobered up I realised how disciplined the drivers were for doing that.


    Why do people ignore pedestrian crossings here?


«13

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    Just to clarify, what colour was the light you stopped at when the pedestrians were crossing ?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    D3V!L wrote: »
    Just to clarify, what colour was the light you stopped at when the pedestrians were crossing ?


    Flashing amber beacons (the yellow balls at the zebra crossing).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    Flashing amber beacons (the yellow balls at the zebra crossing).

    Was it a zebra crossing ?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,252 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    I approached a pedestrian crossing.
    There was people there wanting to cross, so I stopped at the threshold of the crossing and the people crossed.


    Further up the road, at a red light, a man got out of his car with a face redder than the stop light, banged on the back window as he approached the front of the car and tried to open my door.


    He roared, "I nearly went into the fucking back of you, we have right of way on the road, the pedestrians have to wait" ... I kept saying that we have to yield to pedestrians at yellow beacons but he kept getting angrier and angrier and saying how he'll smash the windows in and to come out and face him like a grown up. He said "he'll smash me up including the skank there" (a girl I work with I was giving a lift home to).



    Surely I was in the right, at amber beacons you can only proceed if there are no pedestrians....


    I notice it a lot myself when I go to pedestrian crossings with amber beacons >99.999% of drivers will plough on and expect me to wait for a break in traffic and blare the horn if I have the temerity to walk out.


    I noticed I was in Poland and cars would robotically and religiously stop at ALL pdestrian crossings. I remember being drunk and standing at the crossing in Kraków and texting on my phone, there were cars sitting at the crossing one beeped then a woman pedestrian explained and laughed with (at? :P ) me saying that I was holding up the cars and they were stopped waiting for me.


    Later on when I sobered up I realised how disciplined the drivers were for doing that.


    Why do people ignore pedestrian crossings here?

    In Slovakia it's a case of driving faster coming up to the pedestrian crossing.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    D3V!L wrote: »
    Was it a zebra crossing ?


    It was a crossing with flashing amber balls .... whatever that is called.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 887 ✭✭✭Abel Ruiz


    D3V!L wrote: »
    Was it a zebra crossing ?

    You taking the wee wee????


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    It was a crossing with flashing amber balls .... whatever that is called.

    Well then you were totally in the right.


  • Moderators, Politics Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 46,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    The ignorant prick should have been far enough back that he wouldn't go into you regardless.
    He is in completely the wrong if you were at a flashing pedestrian crossing anyhow.
    Report him for road rage for sure! Might calm him down a bit!

    Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/ .



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    D3V!L wrote: »
    Well then you were totally in the right.


    Thanks that's what I though. I always notice in Ireland that motorists expext pdestrians to yield to them and wait for traffic to break.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,157 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Is the pedestrian obliged to place a foot on the roadway to signal their intent at a zebra crossing or is that just a figment of my imagination?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    Is the pedestrian obliged to place a foot on the roadway to signal their intent at a zebra crossing or is that just a figment of my imagination?


    Could be a myth, but you may be right, still, the majority of motorists would probably still plough on.


    It's tough out there, especially for cyclists.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    Is the pedestrian obliged to place a foot on the roadway to signal their intent at a zebra crossing or is that just a figment of my imagination?

    Yes that's it. When their foot is on the road it means the car has to yeild . If not they could be just standing near the crossing and no intention of using it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,132 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,827 ✭✭✭tcawley29


    Pedestrians have the right of way. You were 100% right OP


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    So it was a zebra crossing according to the definition in the article :)

    Thread title amended.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,104 ✭✭✭boombang


    I hope you took his number plate number down. He deserves to be reported. I also think he should be facing some sort of criminal charge for threatening behaviour.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,611 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    I notice I get blown at more and more these days for stopping for pedestrians or cyclists at them but as far as I ever knew you're supposed to let people cross.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,519 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Get a dash cam.....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Crock Rock


    Get a dash cam.....


    I have two, one facing forwards and one back.


    I didn't report it, nor will I.



    I expect nothing to come of it, no point so.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,892 ✭✭✭✭Spook_ie


    I notice I get blown at more and more these days for stopping for pedestrians or cyclists at them but as far as I ever knew you're supposed to let people cross.

    If it's a cyclist he has no pedestrian crossing rights unless he has dismounted his bike, in which case he legally becomes a pedestrian.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,611 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    Spook_ie wrote: »
    If it's a cyclist he has no pedestrian crossing rights unless he has dismounted his bike, in which case he legally becomes a pedestrian.

    I know that but they use them even if they shouldn't and I don't want to be peeling one off my bonnet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,777 ✭✭✭Isambard


    they have the right of the way once on the crossing and it is common courtesy to stop for them if they are waiting even if they haven't started crossing,. The other driver is an ignorant prick and should have been reading the road better and anticipated you stopping OP.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,519 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    I have two, one facing forwards and one back.


    I didn't report it, nor will I.



    I expect nothing to come of it, no point so.

    Why didn't you say that to him?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,017 ✭✭✭McCrack


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    I have two, one facing forwards and one back.


    I didn't report it, nor will I.



    I expect nothing to come of it, no point so.

    Put it up here for the giggles


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,162 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Is the pedestrian obliged to place a foot on the roadway to signal their intent at a zebra crossing or is that just a figment of my imagination?

    Yes they are. Also at a junction if a pedestrian puts their foot into the junction 1st the all cars have to give right of way. I've rarely been brave enough to try.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,833 ✭✭✭JeffKenna


    Throw the dashcam up here OP


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,641 ✭✭✭GarIT


    It's an interesting debate which way it should be. You could argue that pedestrians should always have priority for many reasons including to encourage walking, that pedestrians are in more danger and that it's **** to be waiting in the cold or rain. Although vehicles having to brake and then accelerate accounts for most of the environmental damage done by cars. Some countries are taking ramps off bus routes and areas where trucks drive for that reason


  • Posts: 24,773 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I notice I get blown at more and more these days for stopping for pedestrians or cyclists at them but as far as I ever knew you're supposed to let people cross.

    I will always stop for pedestrians at a cross but I will go out if my way to block a cyclist attempting to get across a pedestrian crossing while cycling.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,474 ✭✭✭Obvious Desperate Breakfasts


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    Could be a myth, but you may be right, still, the majority of motorists would probably still plough on.


    It's tough out there, especially for cyclists.

    I reckon motorists can tell by the direction the pedestrian is heading. Technically, a foot must be on the road, I think, but my experience is that motorists generally slow down if you’re at or near the edge of the path and walking with purpose in the direction of the road. But, as a pedestrian, I always look now. I had a scary experience about a decade ago. I had the green man and strode across, only looking up about halfway across the road, only to see a van careening towards me, the driver furiously talking into his phone. I jumped back and he missed me by inches. He never seemed to register me at all. I indignantly told my father about it later and he was mostly sympathetic but did say “Remember, it’s cross with caution. No point being right if you’re dead.” So I always look first now.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,890 ✭✭✭grogi


    Crock Rock wrote: »
    I have two, one facing forwards and one back.


    I didn't report it, nor will I.



    I expect nothing to come of it, no point so.

    You can be sure of one thing only: nothing will happen if you don't report...

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"


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