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Recent Walking & Driving Observations: Both Scary & Stupid

As of late, I don’t know what is happening but I am seeing a lot of STUPID things being done by drivers and by pedestrians.

CARS CROSSING SOLID LINES WITH NO SIGNAL

Imagine this:

You’re driving down three lanes. The left lane turns OFF into a market, and you have to be in that lane to go to the market.

This left lane is blocked off by a SOLID LINE.

You are in the middle lane, going towards the highway (there is a second turn off there to the market as well).

The car in front of you, is going at a good clip in the middle lane, and then suddenly BRAKES in mid-stride, and veers off slightly to the left, with zero warning, zero signal or any intention of wanting to get into that left lane to go to the market.

I SLAMMED on my brakes at that time, and thank goodness it wasn’t icy, snowy, rainy or anything odd in the weather because my car stopped.

I almost hit this very STUPID shortsighted woman who could only think of going to the market and turning off to cross a SOLID LINE to get into that left lane, and leaving me to brake in a panic.

PEOPLE CROSSING WHILE ON THEIR PHONES

What the hell is so important on your phone that you need to walk, and cross an intersection with your NOSE IN YOUR PHONE!?

Texting? WATCHING A VIDEO?? What could you possibly be doing that is so important that you cannot stop and turn off to the side to finish your stuff?

Me, I only look down at my iPod when I have to switch a song.

Otherwise, forget it. I am not texting, I am not making notes, nothing. I stop and go off to the side to do this.

(By the way, it ALSO irks me when people block the flow of pedestrian traffic by standing in the middle and talking, taking up the whole space, or standing in front of escalators but are not getting on or off escalators in a timely manner. WTF. Get OUT of the way.)

This makes me want to NOT get a cellphone even more strongly now, maybe I’ll turn into one of these Phone Zombies.

A guy was on his phone, during a downpour one day, texting, and I ALMOST HIT HIM (he literally stopped right at my bumper, his knees touching), because he was paying attention to his phone, and I was turning on a LEFT TURN light. It was lucky for him I’m a calm and slow driver because anyone else, and he would be dead meat.

I hope it shocked him and taught him a lesson.

CARS THAT TAP THE BREAK EVERY 3 SECONDS

I… effing.. hate.. these drivers.

Leave MORE space between you and the car in front, and avoid tapping your damn brake every 3 seconds. Each time I see that red light flash, I instinctively put my foot on my own brake and slow down as well.

I leave a good amount of space between myself and a car in front, but it still annoys me when I see someone half-driving, half-braking on the highway.

Go slower, use less gas, tap the brake LESS OFTEN PLEASE.

It is annoying, and each time you brake the car it is a signal to the car behind you and all others behind you that we are ALL to brake and slow down as well.

If this is not a real emergency, we’ll just start getting frustrated that we can’t trust your signals.

A GIRL BIKING ACROSS AN INTERSECTION

The bus to my right was blocking my view. I stopped (full stop) at the stop signs at the intersection.

The bus starts driving, so I figure he checked to make sure people have stopped, and I slowly inch forward on the left side, driving.

What happens?

A pre-teen girl, biking, doesn’t even STOP AT THE DAMN INTERSECTION and bikes ACROSS the bus, not waiting for him to stop.

The bus slammed on his brakes, I slammed on mine when I saw her come across the front of the bus, and had a heart attack.

I couldn’t believe it. She was HALF A FOOT away from being obliterated.

Parents, please teach all of your kids to stop and cross the street safely.

Getting home on time, crossing an intersection in a rush, none of this ##%#%& is important if you are dead.

You can ALWAYS catch another train.

There will ALWAYS be another bus.

If you’re late, you’re late. This is not the end of the world.

Getting hit by a bus, is the end of your world and everyone else’s around you.

This incident, made me even more vigilant to force Little Bun to stop at every stupid little crosswalk, sidewalk and intersection and look left and right.

I am drilling him like some crazy woman at every stop. I tell him each time that even if the light is green, he is to STOP, CHECK, Look LEFT and RIGHT, and THEN he can cross.

I am going to repeat this to him until he is has children of his own, for real.

CARS THAT DON’T FULLY STOP AT STOP SIGNS

I hate this. If you don’t stop completely, how can you check to make sure no one else is crossing from the left or the right? STOP at least one second. Three is a bit much these days, but at least ONE and a FULL stop.

What annoys you as a driver or pedestrian?

6 Comments

  • PP Gal

    Whether as a driver or pedestrian, I almost get hit if not only for the fast reflex and brake.

    So as a pedestrian, I am vigilant, checking my blind spot, acting as if I have side mirrors. I wait till the car stop or the driver give me a signal before I cross.

    Let’s not rush to accident. Focus. Focus. Focus.

  • Alexis

    FWIW… little bun should maybe look left, right, and then left again while crossing. You never know who might be screaming down the road from the left while you’re looking right 🙂

  • Becka

    I am alway annoyed by hedges, bushes, ornamental grasses and other landscaping planted right up to the very edge of the property that if it is a corner lot force me to practically have to pull out in the intersection to see beyond this if anyone’s coming. And it’s not just private citizens who are guilty of this. My bank and one of my doctors offices has plantings that extend right up to the street in front of their buildings that have force me to creep slowly out of the parking lot straining my eyes and ears to try and avoid and accident.

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