Yesterday was my unpaid domestic labor day, which means that I don’t report to a job I actually get paid for.
Weeee!
And so I did my chores and errands and took Girlfriend for a walk to my Grandfather’s house to go and use the pool. Usually it’s a really pleasant walk because there are some beautiful old houses in my neighborhood and I love nothing more than trying to look inside to see if there’s anyone naked in there how it’s decorated. On the way there we passed another pedestrian and I said “good afternoon” and the fucking woman didn’t say “good afternoon” back. She just looked at me and decided not to!
Fine.
Be a cunt.
I don’t care.
And then about a minute later, I reached the crosswalk I had to use to get to Papa’s house. It’s a busy street, but around here, and I don’t know if this is a universal law or whatever because I was totally drunk the day we covered that in driver’s ed, you have to STOP when a pedestrian enters the crosswalk.
So I stood there for fucking ever IN THE CROSSWALK, with the baby stroller and the dog and it was just like
zoom…
zoom…
zoom…
As car after car totally ignored the stroller in the crosswalk. And we were hanging out there in danger of being hit until a woman I have seen at the park a few times before stopped for me and waited very patiently as we stood in the middle of the crosswalk in front of her car as cars coming the opposite direction still kept zooming past.
Nobody stopped.
Nobody even slowed down.
I finally got across because there were no other cars coming. She yelled out her window “I can’t believe no one stopped for you!” And I was like “I know it!” and that was that.
Internet, I would like to know WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE???
Do I need to show a little more leg next time I want to cross the street?
Seriously.
It’s always like this around here. My mother is blind and uses a cane so it’s pretty damn obvious that she can’t see but when she tries to cross the street, people honk and YELL AT HER! They don’t stop, they don’t slow down, they abuse her. And my step mom fell while walking her dog and nobody stopped to help her. She was on the ground for 20 minutes crying for help and people just slowed down to stare at her. A 90 year old woman finally noticed her and came out of her house to help her. And nobody stops to let little old ladies cross the street except me. I always stop for the grannies. It’s called being decent.
So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to install one of these in my car
And any time I see some crazy fucktard douchebag asshat I’m gonna burn the motherfucker.
HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any other ideas?
I’m on a fucking crusade bitches.
Oh Stoogie, you nut you!
Your own earlier post makes my point abundantly obvious…”but no pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.”
The irony being you posted the law which defends my point yourself. Thanks. You should pay attention to the WHOLE paragraph, not just the parts which you think justify your perspective. Even my original post doesn’t say she was totally wrong, just not entirely right. It was a minor difference that I thought should be clarified. But then there was name calling, and judgements, and other nasty attitudes (none mine by the way). It would be easy to make degrading comments. Easy. But it’s not my point.
My point…be careful of those snap judgements about peoples behavior and what you think you are owed. You might be mistaken, or even wrong.
Are we done now?
wait, jai- didn’t you make a snap judgment on Crissy?
Not quite yet, Jai.
Maybe you should pay attention. Here, let me spell it out for you: “suddenly leave the curb or a place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.” Note the word “and.” Um, yep, it is illegal to suddenly walk in front of a moving car that you know is unable to stop. Does that have some relevance here? You have a weak sense of irony as well humor.
In your original post, you wrote, “A pedestrian cannot enter the crosswalk until it is safe to cross. Once it is safe to cross and you start to cross you have the right of way.” Bullshit. And more bullshit: “So no, they don’t have to stop just because you walk out into the crosswalk, you have to wait until it is safe before you try.” No, asshat, you can’t step in front of a moving car. But when you enter the crosswalk, cars must stop. Period. My point is that Crissy was entirely right. Meaning, you were wrong. If you have evidence to the contrary, provide it.
Also, I like name-calling when it is well-deserved, you pompous, self-important prick. See?
Now we’re done.
Mr. Jai,
Apparently you are overly concerned with people throwing themselves into traffic and assuming that they are somehow magically protected from harm by some white lines painted on the road. Indeed, the law protects the motorist from being held accountable for negligence in these cases. The definition of negligence is when a person has departed from the conduct expected of a reasonably prudent person acting under similar circumstances.
In short, the law makes sense.
However, in the case which we are describing here–the case that you decided to “weigh in” on with your “expert” commentary–there is no evidence whatsoever that it was impossible for the driver to yield. Yet this is the hinge-pin on which your entire argument is based.
In fact, REASONABLE people would have SEEN the pedestrian IN THE CROSSWALK, exhibited some level of EMPATHY and placed themselves in the pedestrian’s situation, and YIELDED the right of way, delaying them a mere 15-30 seconds from their oh-so-important lives.
You obviously have a myopic and superficial understanding of motor vehicle statues, and I strongly suggest you refrain from further dispensation of “information.”
In short, don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.
no one listens to me….
Ah hell, I’ll still high five you stoogiepie
No, Rachel M! You know I love you!
squeee! Internet acknowledgment!
Oh, and Jai (do you pronounce that High?) it’s = it is. Its is possessive. After you’re done with the driving lesson, a grammar lesson might be in order.
Lars, a well made point, but as described in Crissys blog…”zoom…zoom…zoom…As car after car totally ignored the stroller in the crosswalk”… it would seem the majority of motorists either didn’t see her or didn’t have time to stop. This leads me to think perhaps pushing a stroller out into the crosswalk was a “bad idea” (there you go, I said it). Perhaps it wasn’t the motorists (plural) it was the pedestrian (singular). I’m trying to be subtle, but I suck at it.
Oh well. You sure are a plyable bunch.
So’long, and thanks for all the fish.
must judge harder…
*JUDGE, JUDGE, JUDGE*
Rachel, you at least, are funny.
eh I don’t have the energy to debate laws, I just like to get on my high horse and….
*judge, judge, judge*
You should relate….
Listen guys, I’m really sorry for being so ridiculously rude and insistent on carrying on and on and ON (ad nauseum, i KNOW) about stupid fucking pedestrian cross walk laws. the truth is my PS3 broke and since I rarely leave my mom’s basement, I had to resort to stalking someone’s blog and causing hoopla over what is now officially the dumbest topic to debate. ever.
I hope you all accept my apologies and visit my site next week when I will conduct a survey on whether or not I should shave my handle bar mustache.
Good night!
Damn jury duty! I missed all the fun!
Great story! This HAS to be NYC or Jersey. I grew up in New England and it makes me sick to hear stories like this because it casts a shadow on all the decent people there. I was raised to consider others before myself. I feel like bitch-slapping people who act like that. I had to laugh at your solution, though.