I'm from Europe, and I have never felt so vulnerable as when crossing suburban roads in the US, for exactly the reason you mention, OP. Here most locations are built to accommodate the fastest and most mindless car driving experience, and it follows that drivers are not alert when people or animals cross their paths.

In Paris and other city or country locations in Europe (I've lived all over), ALL drivers are also pedestrians. It goes with the lifestyle. The layout is also more pedestrian-friendly since most locations in Europe were built before the invention of the car. As a result, it's the drivers who need to be constantly on alert, because the lanes are narrow, the turns can be sharp with no visibility, traffic lights or stop signs are sprinkled frequently on their way... in brief, it's not as easy to mindlessly drive for a long way and then hit a pedestrian when you enter a populated area. You'd hit a cow or a building first, or drive straight across a roundabout, and drivers don't want to do that

Anonymous wrote:A lot of pedestrians are on their phones.

Yep, intentionally. Because if drivers think I can see them, then they play chicken and do asshole things, but if they think they might run over me because I'm not paying attention they're more likely to follow the law.

There is no law that says that a person can't walk and be on the phone.

I walk and drive, and have lived many years completely carless.

I consider myself a savvy pedestrian, and cognizant driver. I don't understand how there are so many horrible, dangerous, distracted drivers in this area.

It's not about speed or stopping - it's 1000% about being aware of your surroundings, and not just staring into the abyss straight ahead. As a driver, your eyes should be constantly moving and looking, and reacting accordingly.

I don’t mind pedestrians. But Indo have a problem with RUDE pedestrians. The one who do not look for traffic before jaywalking across a street then act completely oblivious to their surroundings either talking to someone else or looking at their phone and then have the audacity to act upset when a car approaches them after they have been in the street for approaching a minute. Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt the picnic lunch you were going to set up in the middle of the street? These oblivious, rude pedestrians are the ones who need to be told where to go. When I am a pedestrian, I cross at the crosswalk. I look for traffic. If I see traffic, I WAIT (shocking) instead of just walking out into the street and expecting traffic to come to a screeching halt. And if I cross the street, I do it QUICKLY. If pedestrians would just follow these rules and be cognizant of their surroundings, I would never have a beef with them.

Anonymous wrote:Walking is for the poors.

Driving is for the fat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The worse are the people turning left when they have a green light (to go STRAIGHT, not to turn). The gun it left only looking at traffic, failing to realize your green light does not mean green to turn, and the pedestrian has the right.

Also cars turning right on green when the pedestrians have “walk”. I’ve seen cars waiting for me to cross when they have green and I have the right of way, with ignorant, rude drivers behind honking at them impatiently to go while glaring at me. Happened while I was heavily pregnant too. Should the cars with green just these pesky pedestrians over to shave a few seconds off their time?

Learn the rules of the road, people.

I live in Mount Pleasant and this describes the intersection of Klingle Rd/Walbridge Place/Park Rd. The intersection is oddly shaped and is bounded by Rock Creek Park to the north and west, so it's heavily used by commuters entering/exiting Beach Drive and the parkway. Westbound traffic is split into 2 lanes, with the right turning lane having clear signage/instructions to turn right ONLY on the green arrow. I've lost count of the number of times my child and I have had close calls with cars who blow through the red arrow when the "go straight" light is green, or the number of times a car is obeying the sign with 4 cars behind them laying on their horns because the drivers are too dumb or ignorant to read the signs posted.

Anonymous wrote:I'm an angry driver and an angry pedestrian..no one knows what they're doing in dc!

And cyclists.

I am all 3 depending on the occasion; it’s shocking how many move through the streets without any regard for right of way and visibility of the one who is not you. EVery one should spend time as each - no way could you complain about any particular category.

Anonymous wrote:The worse are the people turning left when they have a green light (to go STRAIGHT, not to turn). The gun it left only looking at traffic, failing to realize your green light does not mean green to turn, and the pedestrian has the right.

Also cars turning right on green when the pedestrians have “walk”. I’ve seen cars waiting for me to cross when they have green and I have the right of way, with ignorant, rude drivers behind honking at them impatiently to go while glaring at me. Happened while I was heavily pregnant too. Should the cars with green just these pesky pedestrians over to shave a few seconds off their time?

Learn the rules of the road, people.

Anonymous wrote:Walking is for the poors.

IMO having to drive your fat ass everywhere, even if it's just from one shitty strip mall to the other, is for the poors.

Anonymous wrote:Walking is for the poors.

Commuting for 1-2 hours each way via car because you can’t afford to live closer in is for the poors

I'm an angry driver and an angry pedestrian..no one knows what they're doing in dc!

Anonymous wrote:The worse are the people turning left when they have a green light (to go STRAIGHT, not to turn). The gun it left only looking at traffic, failing to realize your green light does not mean green to turn, and the pedestrian has the right.

Not every left turn has an arrow. You’re allowed to turn left on a green light unless stated otherwise. That said, the drivers turning left are supposed to yield to pedestrians.

Anonymous wrote:Stop crossing the street when the hand is flashing! Wait on the sidewalk not the road.

When I wait on the sidewalk, people don't stop, even when I clearly have the right of way. Similarly, if I cross with my head up and make eye contact with drivers, they act like that's permission to go and drive where I have the right of way while waving at me. So, sometimes I pretend I'm looking at my phone, then they think I don't see them and they actually follow the law and stop.

Ironically, when I wait in the middle of a block at a marked bus stop, people stop and try and wave me across the street all the time.

Walking is for the poors.

It sounds like the answer the drivers is "No".
(and "get the hell out of my way, I'm in a hurry")