Suicidal Pedestrians!

Why do some people not look before they step in to the road? Do they all have a death wish? Or were they absent when the 'Green Cross Code' was taught at school.

Yesterday I went to pick up my sister and on the way home three different people decided that getting hit by a car might be fun. By the way I did not hit any of the people involved.

The first was an elderly man who decided to step in front of me as I turned a corner. I saw him walking down the road, I slowed down, indicated, got to the turn before he did and started to turn when he stepped in to the road and then saw me. He glared at me as though it was all my fault. As though I wasn't indicating, as though I was doing 100mph, as though I had rolled down the window and shouted '10 points, Grand Theft Auto' at him.

Yes I appreciate that being elderly he may have been deaf...but he wasn't wearing glasses. He didn't have a white stick or a guide dog with him. If he had looked before he stepped in to the road then he would have seen me.

Second incident was as I came down a hill approaching a main road. I saw two cyclists begin to cross to the island in the middle of the road. But rather than stopping there until I had gone past, or even slowing down and checking to see if anything was coming, they decided to just cycle straight out in front of me. I can only be glad that I was approaching a junction and was therefore slowing down.

One of the cyclists was a friend of my sister, who when my sister mentioned it to her said 'sorry but I couldn't stop'. My sister is not as sarcastic as me. Had it been me I would have been very tempted to say 'it is a shame that they haven't come up with something for bikes that slows them down, maybe even stops them kind of like a brake on a car'.

The final incident occurred as I came round the corner on my street. A woman with a push chair was crossing the road diagonally so it took longer for her to get across. I had to slow down so that I wouldn't get too close. And not once did she look to see if there was anything coming. She may have been deaf, however a lack of road safety knowledge is more probable, and if I had nearly hit her she would have given me a mouthful of abuse.

It's not difficult - stand on the side of the road. Listen for traffic, look left, look right. Then start crossing IF it is safe, whilst still looking and listening. I can't see what is hard about that.

I now declare this rant over - just remember to look next time you cross the road!


image is a wallpaper from http://talesoftheroad.direct.gov.uk/hedgehogs/html/hedgehog-downloads.html