Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

So looking both ways and paying attention according to you has NO impact in safety. OK

Typically, if I am in a crosswalk, I will wait until an approaching vehicle slows to a stop before I proceed to cross. In the alternative, I stick my hand out with an aggressive crossing guard posture as I cross, esp if I am crossing with my little one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You were right. They were wrong. But to continue to live you must not assume the driver sees you or will stop. Do what you must to survive. Theatrics are unnecessary.

5) There is absolutely no universe in which a person who runs a stop sign at an intersection where a pedestrian is lawfully in the crosswalk and narrowly avoids a collision gets to tell anyone to calm down. The driver in this scenario is 100% in the wrong and should be ashamed of herself. Anyone on the last 14 pages criticizing the OP's behavior or stress level at this experience should be ashamed of themselves as well.

Your point

Anonymous wrote:This thread is ridiculous.

Of course it is best practice to be a responsible pedestrian, be aware of the traffic around you, and cross streets carefully.

Best practice for crossing this particular intersection as a pedestrian would be to approach the intersection, look down Irving to see if anyone is coming, look down Hiatt to see if anyone is coming, and then proceed when you have noted no cars coming. The OP started to cross the street when the car was NOT AT THE INTERSECTION. She entered the intersection at the crosswalk, and since it sounds like a number of you have not actually been there, I will say as someone who lives in the area that both crosswalks are highly visible from Hiatt. It's slightly more difficult for cars on Irving, but someone coming up Hiatt who was paying attention would have been able to clearly visualize a pedestrian in either of the crosswalks. Some of you seem to think that it is not reasonable for a pedestrian to expect a car that is ~100 feet away to stop at a stop sign when there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

I wonder at the number of posters who spend their time chastising OP for not paying close enough attention while seemingly absolving the driver, who broke the law by running the stop sign in the first place, of any responsibility for the situation.

Are you seriously saying that if you were in OP's situation, you would have done something differently?

I think it's mix of 3 things.

1. Might makes right (cars are bigger, so pedestrians have to be more careful than drivers)
2. The just world hypothesis (if you got hit, you must have done something wrong; I don't do that wrong thing so I won't get hit)
3. Windshield perspective (I primarily see the road from behind the windshield of my car and rarely, if ever, walk anywhere)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Irving+St+NW+%26+Hiatt+Pl+NW,+Washington,+DC+20010/@38.928694,-77.0346411,3a,90y,48.92h,84.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shMaj3fBZAaP1ttU0NtVNNg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x89b7c820370d48a3:0x24d2e1703a9ec78a!8m2!3d38.9286622!4d-77.0346323

This is the intersection in question, FYI.

This thread is ridiculous.

Of course it is best practice to be a responsible pedestrian, be aware of the traffic around you, and cross streets carefully.

Best practice for crossing this particular intersection as a pedestrian would be to approach the intersection, look down Irving to see if anyone is coming, look down Hiatt to see if anyone is coming, and then proceed when you have noted no cars coming. The OP started to cross the street when the car was NOT AT THE INTERSECTION. She entered the intersection at the crosswalk, and since it sounds like a number of you have not actually been there, I will say as someone who lives in the area that both crosswalks are highly visible from Hiatt. It's slightly more difficult for cars on Irving, but someone coming up Hiatt who was paying attention would have been able to clearly visualize a pedestrian in either of the crosswalks. Some of you seem to think that it is not reasonable for a pedestrian to expect a car that is ~100 feet away to stop at a stop sign when there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

I wonder at the number of posters who spend their time chastising OP for not paying close enough attention while seemingly absolving the driver, who broke the law by running the stop sign in the first place, of any responsibility for the situation.

Are you seriously saying that if you were in OP's situation, you would have done something differently?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Like telling them to look both ways both crossing a street?

Yea, the person is arguing to argue. I’m not sure what she’s talking about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Like telling them to look both ways both crossing a street?

If you’re in a car do you look both ways before passing through a green light to make sure no one is running a red light from the other way? At every intersection?

Because essentially that’s what we are asking pedestrians to do- even if crossing with a light, they should apparently be anticipating every car’s move.

Actually yes, I am aware of the cars around me coming from all directions and slow down if I think someone is going to run a red light and hit me. BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A DEATH WISH. Drivers also need to be paying attention and not blindly blasting through intersections. You give absolutely horrible advice and must be a truly terrible driver and pedestrian. I have never been in an accident because I PAY ATTENTION.

I definitely agree. I do the same when I’m driving. I have green light, but I’m aware of other directions as well. It’s mind boggling people are arguing this

Nobody is saying that pedestrians shouldn't pay attention.

What we are saying:

1. telling pedestrians to pay attention doesn't make actual walking safer for the real actual people who are actually walking
2. you can be the most attention-paying-est pedestrian ever AND STILL GET HIT

Anonymous wrote:

Actually yes, I am aware of the cars around me coming from all directions and slow down if I think someone is going to run a red light and hit me. BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A DEATH WISH. Drivers also need to be paying attention and not blindly blasting through intersections. You give absolutely horrible advice and must be a truly terrible driver and pedestrian. I have never been in an accident because I PAY ATTENTION.

You have never been in a crash because you got lucky.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Like telling them to look both ways both crossing a street?

If you’re in a car do you look both ways before passing through a green light to make sure no one is running a red light from the other way? At every intersection?

Because essentially that’s what we are asking pedestrians to do- even if crossing with a light, they should apparently be anticipating every car’s move.

Actually yes, I am aware of the cars around me coming from all directions and slow down if I think someone is going to run a red light and hit me. BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A DEATH WISH. Drivers also need to be paying attention and not blindly blasting through intersections. You give absolutely horrible advice and must be a truly terrible driver and pedestrian. I have never been in an accident because I PAY ATTENTION.

I definitely agree. I do the same when I’m driving. I have green light, but I’m aware of other directions as well. It’s mind boggling people are arguing this

Not true. You definitely can avoid contact, if they are going straight through. Dive out of the way. It’s not chasing you. Cars are going in straight line direction. A car keeps coming, you see it, dodge. Yes, it’s a machine and fast, but it’s going straight. Get out of the way or look straight ahead as pedestrian, because you have right of way and take your chances.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Like telling them to look both ways both crossing a street?

If you’re in a car do you look both ways before passing through a green light to make sure no one is running a red light from the other way? At every intersection?

Because essentially that’s what we are asking pedestrians to do- even if crossing with a light, they should apparently be anticipating every car’s move.

Actually yes, I am aware of the cars around me coming from all directions and slow down if I think someone is going to run a red light and hit me. BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A DEATH WISH. Drivers also need to be paying attention and not blindly blasting through intersections. You give absolutely horrible advice and must be a truly terrible driver and pedestrian. I have never been in an accident because I PAY ATTENTION.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Like telling them to look both ways both crossing a street?

If you’re in a car do you look both ways before passing through a green light to make sure no one is running a red light from the other way? At every intersection?

Because essentially that’s what we are asking pedestrians to do- even if crossing with a light, they should apparently be anticipating every car’s move.

DP. Looking both ways isn't going to help if a car down the road is speeding or runs the light or any other set of circumstances.

Looking both ways children's mantra meant for your small little residential street. It's generally not helpful in an urban situation

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is like talking to a wall. The drivers have to stop because they are going to have a red light, however, make sure everyone is fully stopped before you listen to your walk signal. I see pedestrians do crazy stuff, as if they are wearing a shield of armor

Yes, it is like talking to a wall. I am going to put this in all caps for emphasis: TELLING PEDESTRIANS TO BE CAREFUL DOES NOT INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

If you want to increase pedestrian safety, start advocating for stuff THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

Like telling them to look both ways both crossing a street?