How do you cross the street as a pedestrian?

[tradephoric]

Don't worry, pretty soon we won't have to worry about pedestrians haphazardly crossing in the middle of the road with the advent of pedestrian collision avoidance systems and autonomous cars... Ooooooh wait.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFKB9BxtZUs

[jeffandnicole]

Don't worry, pretty soon we won't have to worry about pedestrians haphazardly crossing in the middle of the road with the advent of pedestrian collision avoidance systems and autonomous cars... Ooooooh wait.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFKB9BxtZUs

If a person walked 1 foot in front of a moving vehicle, are those systems still supposed to swerve and stop within the next 11 inches?  The occupants of the vehicle would be whiplashed around from such a move.

[jon daly]

We were taught to cross in front of the bus as long as the driver could see us.  I'd say the best idea is to wait for the bus to move along, then cross.

Indeed. It is easier for a pedestrian to stop than it is for a vehicle. This is why I HATE it when people in cars try to wave me through in front of them. It's unlikely, but what would happen if their foot slips off the brake? (This is an odd quirk for me. I don't worry about many things, but that's one of them.)

[english si]

I remember the UVA Transit System buses had signs asking people to cross behind the bus because of the risk that you'd be hit by a driver passing the stopped bus (which was a routine practice). Of course, it seems you'd then have the same risk as to getting hit by drivers going the other way, right?

Depends on the road, surely?

If there's a pull-in for the bus, or 2 lanes per direction, then the vehicle passing will be passing about 6 foot from the bus, while a car going the other direction will be more like 20 foot away. You get a lot more time and space for reaction and collision-avoidance measures with the bigger distance.

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

We were taught to cross in front of the bus as long as the driver could see us.  I'd say the best idea is to wait for the bus to move along, then cross.

Indeed. It is easier for a pedestrian to stop than it is for a vehicle. This is why I HATE it when people in cars try to wave me through in front of them. It's unlikely, but what would happen if their foot slips off the brake? (This is an odd quirk for me. I don't worry about many things, but that's one of them.)

This is me exactly! I have seen too many people honked at while in the crosswalk at stop signs or some asshat revving the engine. smh...

That is why I don't care if they give me the ROW I way them through. I would rather not end up dead because I couldn't save you 15 seconds or so crossing the damn street. I flipped some person off behind me for honking at me on my bike for taking a few extra seconds doing another quick look before pulling out of a driveway. Like I am not in a protecting can, I just have a plastic shell, and it's slightly heavier than the average, but no seatbelt or airbags.

[GaryV]

We were taught to cross in front of the bus as long as the driver could see us.  I'd say the best idea is to wait for the bus to move along, then cross.

Indeed. It is easier for a pedestrian to stop than it is for a vehicle. This is why I HATE it when people in cars try to wave me through in front of them. It's unlikely, but what would happen if their foot slips off the brake? (This is an odd quirk for me. I don't worry about many things, but that's one of them.)

And then the driver in the other lane doesn't see you.  I saw a couple teenage girls almost get taken out when a driver helpfully waived them across the street.

[jon daly]

^Yes. I see stuff like that happen as well. If you have the ROW, go. I really don't like it when I'm in a car trying to take a left onto a multi-lane road.  They don't stop to think that the guy in the other lane might NOT be yielding.

Another quirk I have is that if people are behind me and it is taking to long to turn left, I'll just say "F*&^ it!" and turn right so that I'm not holding them up.

Those are my driving/walking quirks. The only other prominent one I can think of is my tendency to straighten out the shopping cart return areas in the parking lot.

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

The only other prominent one I can think of is my tendency to straighten out the shopping cart return areas in the parking lot.

I would, but lazyness, especially when it gets to an overflowing tangled mess. I am a person who does make an effort to actually keep them in a file in the first place.