Crosswalks: how are they supposed to work?

This frustrates me to no end. I guess it is one of my pet peeves. I say the pedestrian should wait by the curb until traffic is clear, then walk out and approaching cars must stop or slow down for them.

Mrs Nose says cars should stop when they see someone standing at the edge of the crosswalk (Canadian version I guess).

Here in Portugal, people step out into the crosswalk without even looking, and expect cars to stop on a dime--and they do.

In Italy, drivers seem to never stop, but they will cross the part of the crosswalk were there are no pedestrians, while they are walking on it (in front of or behind them).

What is your understanding? Vote in the Poll!

 

So far waiting at the curb is the concensus

 

I'm a little torn between the two, because if the cars are already slowing down, then I feel it's more appropriate to make eye contact & cross rather than leaving them unsure as to whether I'll be crossing or not.

I suppose it depends how much they're slowing down.

 

When I was a young preteen, tho, I wandered directly out into the street like an idiot on more than one occasion. I think you're supposed to be an idiot at 12, tho.

 

Yeah, I'm between one and two.
I'll just try and cross when there aren't any cars around. The zebra crossings in Sheffield are a problem because people here can't drive for shit.

 

On my way to work I pass several schools. They don't have school zones here, no one really slows down but if students approach the crosswalk you hit the brakes.

 

What are zebra crossings?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_crossing

Here, if a pedestrian is at a zebra crossing, cars are supposed to stop and let you cross.
Unfortunately the drivers in Sheffield are all idiots.

 

Well here the rule is, you have to give way to the pedestrian if they are already crossing the highway, not! if they are just waiting to cross, unless of course it's a zebra crossing then you Must! give way to someone wating at the edge of the highway, Pelican, Toucan and Puffin have traffic lights so it's pre determined.

Anyway I think the pedestrian should wait for the traffic to subside before crossing, anything else is dangerous, ie allowing of people stepping into the road in a legal sense is asking for a rear end collision to be as common place as a hot dinner.

 

same here!
I hate teenagers when they come out of school though. They just cross without looking. One time I didn't stop on purpose untill I was almost hitting one. do u think she got scared? she looked at me like "u r an old idiot bat" and kept walking.

 

That's the way it is here in Portugal with the ones that step out except they never even look your way. Not even a peripheral glance. There are some old people who do it, and I can't help but wonder how they survived all these years.

 

Been there, been rear-ended at a crosswalk.

 

At the crosswalks at our college, traffic usually comes to a stop if someone is waiting or approaching. Most people who are crossing, in my experience, have always stopped to look before they cross. I don't recall a bad crosswalk experience.

 

I HATED crosswalks in Norman Oklahoma!

I got hit by a car last year...It was at a three way stop...the moron girl was on her cell phone and ran the stop sign. She didn't realize I was there until I was literally on her hood.

Boy, I gave her a tongue lashing.
Made her cry, lol

 

When i was on the campus, there was about 2 deaths a year, relating to pedestrians and crosswalks. Drivers are supposed to yield at the crosswalks, but pedestrians have to be smart enough to know that some drivers aren't going to be paying attention, and will not stop when they should. I've almost been hit by a car so many times, because i thought the drivers were going to stop and they didn't. Luckily, i didn't keep my head straight forward. I kept veering my head to the side making sure that they actually would stop, and in many cases, they didn't. It's the responsibility of both the driver, and the pedestrian, to establish eye contact and make sure that it's safe.

 

That is how it is in Australia too, the cars have to stop for pedestrians to cross.

 

You press the button, wait days for it to say "walk", then walk across. At least, that's what I do. I don't care if traffic is clear. I still wait. I'm waiting to see some fool get hit by a car who tries to beat traffic and run across the street when it isn't his turn. I hate those jackasses. And shitty driver who try to beat the light, or speed up when people cross the street don't make shit better.

So basically, wait for the walk signal. That's why they're there.

 

This is something I need to get used to when I'm abroad!!
We just cross wherever we walk in England, but apparently you can get arrested for that in some places.

 

Technically, it's illegal in America. Jaywalking is a "who gives a fuck" crime though, unless you almost caused an accident or some shit, they don't care. Cops won't bust you or even turn their head for small shit like that. A cop would have to be a real dick, or behind on his bust quota to actually stop somebody for something like Jaywalking.

 

I don't know how bad they are in Russia and Latin America with it to be honest.
When I was in Germany and didn't cross at a crossing, this bloke ran up to me and started screaming at me so I think I'll just be patient and wait for the green man, haha.