Who would be at fault? Pedestrian question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to read the responses.

This happened to me recently. The car going straight stopped and honked at me and I gestured toward the pedestrian walking nonchalantly and illegally in the crosswalk.

The problem is that I only have a few seconds to turn left at this intersection during the morning commute: there is no green arrow, cars are coming thick and heavy even when the lights turns orange, so when I have a small window, I have to take it. The cars behind me waiting to turn left like me all start to honk anytime they perceive that I (or another car) take too much time to turn, because they'll be stuck waiting an extra light cycle, or several.

Wretched traffic.

Translation: I, and other drivers are impatient, so I drive in a manner that is unsave for other drivers.

[Anonymous]

I want to know where OP learned to drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to read the responses.

This happened to me recently. The car going straight stopped and honked at me and I gestured toward the pedestrian walking nonchalantly and illegally in the crosswalk.

The problem is that I only have a few seconds to turn left at this intersection during the morning commute: there is no green arrow, cars are coming thick and heavy even when the lights turns orange, so when I have a small window, I have to take it. The cars behind me waiting to turn left like me all start to honk anytime they perceive that I (or another car) take too much time to turn, because they'll be stuck waiting an extra light cycle, or several.

Wretched traffic.

LOL you are traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is exactly why protected green arrows for drivers are so dangerous for pedestrians. You're standing on the sidewalk, you see the green light and the cars moving, you assume that the walk signal is lit - but no, the walk signal isn't lit, because the traffic engineers have given priority to drivers who want to turn left.

The intersection actually doesn't have a green arrow for me to turn left. Every light cycle ALL lights are red for pedestrians to cross in all directions with walk signals, and then the no-walk signs are lit. I know this because I also take the bus and use that same crosswalk a few days a week.

Can I ask where this intersection is? Didn’t know these existed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Possibly the other driver.

No. OP turned in front of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When one person is ensased in steel and the other person is not, the person in the steel box is at fault. Always.

Always?

My friend had a non-steel-encased person jump off a bridge into highway traffic, bouncing off my friend's car, in what was probably a successful suicide attempt. It was fatal -- he died on impact. My friend, although encased in steel, could neither have prevented nor predicted the event.

Who was at fault?

Did you really want PP to say, "When one person is encased in steel and the other person is not, the person in the steel box is at fault except when the other person is attempting suicide"?

I'm the PP, and I specifically didn't include that clause because many people encased in steel think every pedestrian in DC who wants to cross the street is attempting suicide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is exactly why protected green arrows for drivers are so dangerous for pedestrians. You're standing on the sidewalk, you see the green light and the cars moving, you assume that the walk signal is lit - but no, the walk signal isn't lit, because the traffic engineers have given priority to drivers who want to turn left.

The intersection actually doesn't have a green arrow for me to turn left. Every light cycle ALL lights are red for pedestrians to cross in all directions with walk signals, and then the no-walk signs are lit. I know this because I also take the bus and use that same crosswalk a few days a week.

Can I ask where this intersection is? Didn’t know these existed.

There are two in DC - one in Columbia Heights and one in Chinatown. Based on the OP's description, she was probably coming south on 14th and wanted to turn onto Irving. I suspect she could take a different route instead of turning left right there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is exactly why protected green arrows for drivers are so dangerous for pedestrians. You're standing on the sidewalk, you see the green light and the cars moving, you assume that the walk signal is lit - but no, the walk signal isn't lit, because the traffic engineers have given priority to drivers who want to turn left.

The intersection actually doesn't have a green arrow for me to turn left. Every light cycle ALL lights are red for pedestrians to cross in all directions with walk signals, and then the no-walk signs are lit. I know this because I also take the bus and use that same crosswalk a few days a week.

Can I ask where this intersection is? Didn’t know these existed.

There are two in DC - one in Columbia Heights and one in Chinatown. Based on the OP's description, she was probably coming south on 14th and wanted to turn onto Irving. I suspect she could take a different route instead of turning left right there.

If you're driving through a scramble intersection, you should expect lots of pedestrians.

[Anonymous]

https://www.donetodaytrafficschool.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/02/intersection1.jpg

This is OP. I wonder who is at fault?!

[Anonymous]

OP failed to yield to oncoming traffic and would have been at fault if an accident occurred. The pedestrian is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP failed to yield to oncoming traffic and would have been at fault if an accident occurred. The pedestrian is irrelevant.

Yup. OP, you are traffic, the other car is traffic, if you don't like waiting for other large metal boxes to get through an intersection before you turn left then try walking or biking or taking the bus. Everyone else has to suffer because you choose to drive through a congested city, so nobody cares if you have to wait a few light cycles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is exactly why protected green arrows for drivers are so dangerous for pedestrians. You're standing on the sidewalk, you see the green light and the cars moving, you assume that the walk signal is lit - but no, the walk signal isn't lit, because the traffic engineers have given priority to drivers who want to turn left.

The intersection actually doesn't have a green arrow for me to turn left. Every light cycle ALL lights are red for pedestrians to cross in all directions with walk signals, and then the no-walk signs are lit. I know this because I also take the bus and use that same crosswalk a few days a week.

Can I ask where this intersection is? Didn’t know these existed.

+1

Where is this? Where is there a left turn with never a left turn arrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is exactly why protected green arrows for drivers are so dangerous for pedestrians. You're standing on the sidewalk, you see the green light and the cars moving, you assume that the walk signal is lit - but no, the walk signal isn't lit, because the traffic engineers have given priority to drivers who want to turn left.

The intersection actually doesn't have a green arrow for me to turn left. Every light cycle ALL lights are red for pedestrians to cross in all directions with walk signals, and then the no-walk signs are lit. I know this because I also take the bus and use that same crosswalk a few days a week.

Can I ask where this intersection is? Didn’t know these existed.

+1

Where is this? Where is there a left turn with never a left turn arrow.

Most intersections don't have a protected left turn arrow.