I don’t trust Americans to stop. They should but they don’t.

In Europe I’ll cross and trust that the driver sees me and will stop.

In DC on some roads if you don't start to cross you will never get across the road. For example, I live near Columbia Road in Adams Morgan that has a ton if midblock crosswalks and is never clear of traffic. You start to cross, make sure the car sees you and slows down, and then continue to cross.

And um, pedestrians ARE entitled to make the car stop, because stopping for pedestrians is the law! Of course realistically pedestrians need to make sure an oncoming driver sees them before getting too far into the road, but you're acting like pedestrians are asking you to do something crazy by expecting you to stop. They are asking you to follow the law.

Hey there drivers, don't be uncool
Stop for pedestrian's, that's the rule
And walkers, you are not exempt
Watch where you're going and be intent
It's up to us to keep the streets
A place where we'd all like to meet

As a driver, I’m always prepared to stop when I see pedestrians. I slow significantly before I come to a complete stop so that pedestrians can tell I’m yielding. Last week I honked at a driver who sailed through a crosswalk with a teenage girl in it, and he had the nerve to shake his head no and keep going!

As a pedestrian, I never make assumptions about a driver yielding to me, as the law requires. I don’t walk into the street unless it’s clear that a driver is yielding. Just because they’re supposed to doesn’t mean they will. People commit driving violations all the time, whether it’s intentional or they’re distracted.

Anonymous wrote:(and yes - I feel “entitled” to make the car stop!!)

Sure, you’re entitled to make the car stop.

When my grandfather was teaching me how to drive, he stressed that you should never count on other drivers to do what they’re supposed to. You may be dead right.

If a driver is drunk, distracted, asleep, if the roads are wet and he spins out of control, or he stops, but the car tailgating him rear ends him, etc., they will probably be prosecuted for being in the wrong, but you’ll still be dead.

Anybody who thinks their “right of way” is going to stop a multi thousand pound self-locomoting object moving at speed from crushing them flat needs their head examined. It is reckless and stupid to walk in front of moving cars.

Anonymous wrote:OP here is what I do: look. if I see a car driving a normal speed approaching the crosswalk with enough time to stop, I step off curb. Keep my eye on car to make sure it is slowing. Proceed through.

You seem to think it is your god-given right to drive full speed through a crosswalk unless the person is literally in front of you?

PS: In most urban areas the car slows when it approaches the crosswalk if there is an obvious pedestrian on the curb. You can do that too OP.

Yup. I’m not going going to put myself in danger, but if the car has time to stop I will walk with intention to/into the crosswalk. Obviously I’m watching to make sure it actually stops, but the pedestrian has right off way.

I'm not naive... I don't walk in front of a moving car... and I accelerate to a jog if I'm already in cross walk and see a car approaching... momma didn't raise an (entitled) dummy.

Yes, pedestrians are entitled to make the car stop.

"Drivers must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Drivers must come to a complete stop while a pedestrian crosses the street within a crosswalk if they are on the half of the roadway where their vehicle is traveling or approaching from an adjacent lane on the other half of the roadway." Maryland Pedestrian Safety Laws

(and yes - I feel “entitled” to make the car stop!!)

OP here is what I do: look. if I see a car driving a normal speed approaching the crosswalk with enough time to stop, I step off curb. Keep my eye on car to make sure it is slowing. Proceed through.

You seem to think it is your god-given right to drive full speed through a crosswalk unless the person is literally in front of you?

PS: In most urban areas the car slows when it approaches the crosswalk if there is an obvious pedestrian on the curb. You can do that too OP.

I’m not fighting with a killing machine…I wait until it’s safe to cross.

Yes I trust the car to stop. You seem mad that you have to stop.

Drivers didn't stop before. You say "of course" but they didn't.

I head into the crosswalk because people don't stop when they see you waiting, even if they are required to, and because where I am going is as important as where you're going, and me waiting for several minutes so that you don't have to wait for a several seconds while I cross is ridiculous.

Before the signs, of course the driver of a car would stop if a walker was in the cross walk... BUT the walker would not enter the crosswalk if they saw a car approaching... it's what your parents taught you, don't walk out in front of a moving car.

BUT now, people old enough to know better and the younger generation head directly into the cross walk, frequently without hesitation, in front of an on coming car. As a driver I have seen walkers 6-12 feet from the curb, head directly into the cross walk even though they see the oncoming car. Why would they trust that the incoming car would stop just because they now have the right of way ??? It's like they feel entitled to make the car stop.

Can we go back to crossing when traffic is clear ???

That's the advice our parents gave us.