# I Reserve the Right to Honk (at jaywalkers)--Do you?



## cantona7 (Apr 8, 2004)

I've just come off a particularly annoying weekend with pedestrians jaywalking right in front of me. If I was any less attentive a driver this weekend, it's quite likely that I would have run over a half-dozen people. Yes, in my fantasy life, I would love to do that. But in real life, all I get to do is honk my horn. Which brings me to the present issue...

I don't know about where you guys live, but here in Boston (which includes Cambridge, Brookline, Somerville, etc.) pedestrians are insufferable with their jaywalking. Don't get me wrong, if there's no traffic and you want to cross a road with a "Don't Walk" sign on, go right ahead. It's a different story when pedestrians look up, see the lights turn to green for the traffic, then decide to walk right out into traffic anyway. The result? Drivers have to slam on the brakes just as they're pulling away, risking a rear-ending. Even worse, many pedestrians in the Boston area DON'T EVEN LOOK BEFORE CROSSING. I'm appalled to say that I have friends who are exactly this way, who walk right out into the street without looking. 

So...this weekend, I resorted to angrily honking twice. The first time, I was in a parking lot and 3 pedestrians walked right out in front of my car. I was moving slowly (under 10 mph) but had to slam on my brakes anyway 'cause they stepped out just feet from my front bumper. I honked them, at which time one of them finally turned and looked, and yelled at me to "F*kin' wait!"--I yelled back that I would if he would learn to look first. The second time, I was the first car waiting at a traffic light. The light had just changed to green and I got on the gas, when I saw 2 adults, towing 3 kids behind them, come running out into the crosswalk. They saw that cars had just started rolling, made a move like they were gonna retreat back onto the sidewalk, then changed their minds and made a "dash" for it. Mayhem ensued and I'm still amazed that no one was killed and no rear endings occurred (well, there might have been but I was long gone). Of course, the two adults still took the time to shoot all of us first-line cars a dirty look when we honked. What the heck is wrong with these people?!?

Of course, the law isn't on our side. I mean, if we run a red light and run over a pedestrian, we're guilty of vehicular manslaughter. How about if a pedestrian deliberately flouts traffic law, we get to run them over without any penalties? Yeah, right. I can only dream on.


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## KP (Apr 16, 2002)

Same thing happens here at Chapel Hill. Evidently, these college kids don't follow walk/no walk signals either, and believe that they are invincible while walking across the street. If I have the green, I don't stop for them, they usually step back. One time I saw a guy on a bike trying to make a run for it, and someone banged his rear wheel. Nevertheless, he didn't get hurt, but I hope he learned his lesson.


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## cantona7 (Apr 8, 2004)

Your cyclist story reminds me of another one I came across--I think it was on Fanatics--where a cyclist ran a crosswalk and t-boned someone's car. Not sure how it was resolved, caused the guy's door panels got pretty badly damaged.


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## TXE39 (Oct 2, 2003)

They're horrible in downtown Houston as well. I usually honk out of anger at how much they scared me more than anger of just the jaywalking. Once while in college I was driving my room mate's Jeep CJ-5 and a guy on a bike (not quite jaywalking but the same reaction) bolted across the 6 lane divided street (University Drive in College Station, Texas) and I practically put both feet through the floor (one on the brake and the other on the horn) while I screamed a very off-color remark at him (no top on the Jeep). I was more pissed at how much he scared me than that he was riding his bike across a very busy street between intersections. I think it's one of those cases where you have to always be looking for them, because, unfortunately they are not looking for you (kinda like riding a motorcycle).


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## cantona7 (Apr 8, 2004)

I just don't understand the mentality of these idiot pedestrians at all. I am always on the lookout when I drive in the city--which is all the time, since I actually live here--but these morons never bother looking for cars that might squish their teeny little heads. When I lived in NYC, I was a full-time pedestrian and never even owned a car. I was always really careful about watching out for traffic, because you KNOW in NYC that no one will have qualms about running you over. On the other hand, in Boston, I once had a cop lecture me when I honked at a pedestrian who WAITED until the light turned green before stepping out on Memorial Drive right in front of my car. Ugh.


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## TXE39 (Oct 2, 2003)

cantona7 said:


> because you KNOW in NYC that no one will have qualms about running you over.


 :thumbup:

Gotta love NYC!


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## cantona7 (Apr 8, 2004)

TXE39 said:


> :thumbup:
> 
> Gotta love NYC!


 I DO love the Big Apple, and would probably move back there in a heartbeat. But I love BMW more. Well, I guess if I was offered a job with big money, I'd probably go back. But I'd hate to drive in the city. Boston, despite what anyone else tells you, is not a real city--and that's not a putdown (although when I first moved here, it would be).


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## Soupcan325i (Sep 17, 2003)

I've come close to hitting two pedestrians in the month I've been in houston...When you're WEARING DARK CLOTHES, AT NIGHT, WALKING AGAINST TRAFFIC in the MIDDLE OF THE STREET RIGHT AFTER THE FREEWAY EXIT RAMP CURVE, you deserve to get hit. ****ing idiots. Darwin supports my right to run these morons over. They're not even crossing the street, but they're walking in it! It doesn't make any sense!


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## 528i (May 1, 2004)

What do you guys define as jaywalking?

I'll give you an example: someone needs to cross at a 4 way unlighted intersection with stop signs on the smaller cross street, and the 40mph main road has the right of way to that other street and no stop signs. There is no marked crosswalk, but I believe that in Washington at least, it is always there. But traffic will never stop to let peds cross, and I'm assuming because they feel no need to without a crosswalk sign or lines on the road.

I don't think that would be jaywalking, but if you have not crossed the whole road by the time traffic gets there, they will usually honk at you, buzz you, or yell out the window.

And, there is another sign up the road near Pike Place Market that cleary says "STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS" and you get the same treatment as if you were crossing in front of a car on the freeway.

If you feel, as those folks must, this is jaywalking. Well.. I am a jaywalker 

However, we don't have much of a jaywalking problem here from what I see. I think my only gripes are bicyclists who follow the car rules when those benefit them and the pedestrian ones when those benefit them, and cars who sit in intersections waiting to turn left and end up blocking traffic as the light turns red.


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## epc (Dec 24, 2001)

If you're driving a manual, just step on the clutch (and you BETTER make damn sure of it), and ther rev the engine. That usually scares them. I figure if they can scare me, I can scare them.


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## Patrick330i (Sep 30, 2002)

528i said:


> What do you guys define as jaywalking?
> 
> I'll give you an example: someone needs to cross at a 4 way unlighted intersection with stop signs on the smaller cross street, and the 40mph main road has the right of way to that other street and no stop signs. There is no marked crosswalk, but I believe that in Washington at least, it is always there. But traffic will never stop to let peds cross, and I'm assuming because they feel no need to without a crosswalk sign or lines on the road.
> 
> ...


Ah, the PNW response, gotta love it.  You guys definitely live by a different set of rules in life. :dunno:


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## 528i (May 1, 2004)

Patrick330i said:


> Ah, the PNW response, gotta love it.  You guys definitely live by a different set of rules in life. :dunno:


haha, wha?
What do you disagree with? The ped crossing, intersection cloggers, or bikes who aren't being fair?

Don't forget, you used to say you lived in the NW as well as cali.. now just cali (oops, now you are 'west coast'). So you either are, or were one of us 'guys' at one point. Sooo.. I am sorry that we are not up to par? 

I'm not sure what I said that was so


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## Patrick330i (Sep 30, 2002)

528i said:


> haha, wha?
> What do you disagree with? The ped crossing, intersection cloggers, or bikes who aren't being fair?
> 
> Don't forget, you used to say you lived in the NW as well as cali.. now just cali (oops, now you are 'west coast'). So you either are, or were one of us 'guys' at one point. Sooo.. I am sorry that we are not up to par?
> ...


Don't take it so personally. Try living in Portland. You'll see the idiotic wars that go on between drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. It's Nuckin' Futs. Now before y ou go off, I realize Seattle is not Portland, but you guys do share some similar traits. Seems like no one is truly wrong in the NW. Just don't offend and all is good. Not my cup of tea. Sorry. Don't be offended. Diversity is awesome!!! yadda, yadda, yadda.  :rofl:

BTW, I didn't know anyone was tracking my movements up and down the west coast. I have groupies, awesome! :thumbup:

Oh, and I was never one of "you guys." Sorry, dude.


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## 528i (May 1, 2004)

Patrick330i said:


> Oh, and I was never one of "you guys." Sorry, dude.


An interloper, eh?

I'm not sure of those issues in Seattle, but man.. i can attest to some terrible examples of pedestrian, car, and bike behavior in my town...


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## FenPhen (Jan 13, 2004)

528i said:


> What do you guys define as jaywalking?


I had a question about that too. According to California VC 21955, you can't cross between two adjacent controlled intersections. How adjacent is "adjacent?" I always thought it's okay to cross in the middle of a big city block if you're crossing perpendicular and yielding to all oncoming traffic, as stated in VC 21954. :dunno:



> cars who sit in intersections waiting to turn left and end up blocking traffic as the light turns red.


If you mean just going out there to sit for the left turn, I recall from driving school you're allowed to be the one car sitting out there as the light turns red so you can complete the turn when oncoming traffic gets the red, so at least one car can make a left turn in heavy traffic. However, you must be able to clear the intersection in your destination lane before you can enter the intersection.


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## 528i (May 1, 2004)

FenPhen said:


> If you mean just going out there to sit for the left turn, I recall from driving school you're allowed to be the one car sitting out there as the light turns red so you can complete the turn when oncoming traffic gets the red, so at least one car can make a left turn in heavy traffic. However, you must be able to clear the intersection in your destination lane before you can enter the intersection.


Oops. I had said that wrong. I do not mind if I have to wait for one (sometimes 2, 3 or 4!) car to turn left before I go.

What I meant to say were cars who get in the intersection heading *straight* and end up being stuck in the intersection when the next light turns red. Buses appear to enjoy this activity.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Ah, Boston and pedestrian life. How I miss those days. Because of the Massachusetts pedestrian-friendly laws, my roommates used to just walk out into the street without looking. I remember college tours in Mass where a guide would just walk into traffic to show the touring high schoolers that cars would stop.

Baltimore has interesting street rules as well. I think many city inhabitants play a death game where riding bikes, motorbikes and scooters, or just plain running down one-way streets the wrong way at night while wearing dark clothing earns the most points. If you can pop a wheelie while doing it, all the more power to you. Much in common with Houston, eh Soup?


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## cantona7 (Apr 8, 2004)

swchang said:


> Ah, Boston and pedestrian life. How I miss those days. Because of the Massachusetts pedestrian-friendly laws, my roommates used to just walk out into the street without looking. I remember college tours in Mass where a guide would just walk into traffic to show the touring high schoolers that cars would stop.


O.M.G. This bad behavior has been institutionalized. Ridiculous. All I'm asking is for the exercise of common sense--from both drivers and pedestrians. Cyclists are a whole other can of worms--yes, I hate how they just obey whichever laws best suit them. As far as jaywalking is concerned, I already said that I'm not against it ALL of the time. We've all had to go around on foot from time to time. If there's no crosswalk, you wait until there's a break in traffic, of if a car yields to you. Strolling out into traffic, forcing drivers to decide between running over the crazy pedestrian or being slammed into by traffic coming behind is NOT common sense. But I think the jaywalking pedestrians I despise the most are the ones who use their kids as human shields--"I have a child with me, so everyone will stop for me." If I was a cop and saw anyone do that, I'd not only write them a ticket, I'd call DSS on them.


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