Take a walk on the wild side!
Pedestrians. We started off that way and we may finish up that way, but what we do in between, it’s our call. As drivers we need to look out for pedestrians. It’s true they have their own set of rules to live by and their own set of crosswalk signals, but a lot of the pedestrians out there aren’t drivers. We need to protect them, especially the kids.
Since we’ve all been pedestrians, you would think drivers would have more consideration when they got behind the wheel. I’ve watched pedestrians that needed to run out of the crosswalk because a car was coming straight for them. The driver was looking to their left as they were turning to their right. No wonder they didn’t see “Johnny Walker” in the crosswalk. They were looking in the wrong direction! Doesn’t the driver know a pedestrian could be coming from the opposite direction?
The other day there was debris on the road ahead of me. A pedestrian ventured onto the road and picked it up and put it at the curb ready to be picked up for that day’s garbage collection. What a nice thing to do! I rolled my window down as I was passing him and yelled “thank you!” and gave him a “thumbs up”. He smiled and nodded and continued walking. He’s probably a good pedestrian. He seemed alert and his observation skills seemed to be sharp.
That poses a question: can a good “Mr. Walker” turn into a good “Mr. Wheeler”? What I mean is, can a good pedestrian that is aware of things around them be a good driver? Driving is done with your eyes, with your hands and feet being tools for your eyes. In other words, where you look is where you go.
Knowing what drivers can do, I tend to look for them before I step off the curb. Isn’t that what we taught our kids, to look both ways before crossing? I also suggest we have the kids look in all directions; 360° before crossing. A driver coming from the street behind you could turn while you’re about to step off the curb, especially if they didn’t see you.
Drive a vehicle as if you’re a pedestrian on wheels. Look out for the other driver who isn’t looking for you. Look for pedestrians before they find you. I saw a pedestrian walking through the crosswalk the other day with a “don’t walk” symbol facing them. I tapped the horn to let her know I was coming since I had the advanced arrow to turn left. I haven’t had a scowl like that thrown my way since my grandmother caught me wrestling too rough with my younger brother!
Do pedestrians a favour: Don’t let them get that run down feeling!
NO, not the run down feeling! ;0
We drive with our eyes, hands, and feet, but we also use our sense of smell and hearing to warn us, and our ESP. If you are relaxed and allow no distractions to remove you from the flow of traffic and events around you, the body language of others becomes so apparent that you can read thier minds and predict what they will do next.
That lady probably scowled because she was raised as I was. To believe that pedestrians ALWAYS have the right-of-way. I still believe it.
Despite what a York region officer told me yesterday in a meeting at city hall to create a task force on the issue, I always believe a pedestrian has right of way, his opinion was a pedestrian is only legal as long as the walk signal is on in a lighted interesection, but that signal expects you to walk at 5km/h, which is fine if you’re a fit teen but hard if you’re any other age.
I observe everything, I can read body language of cars in front of me, I know what turn they’re planning even if they cannot signal, and I do my best to inform them them of their lack of awareness.