Any other like minds?
Just curious, does anyone else do this or is it just me?
When crossing the road as a pedestrian, whether that be at the traffic light or roads with Stop Signs. Are you aware of all the cars on the roads around you? Like, if you're crossing a road, you turn your head and look behind you to see if a car is waiting to turn left into the road you're crossing? If you're the only person crossing that road, and a car is waiting, you'll hurry your steps or do a little skip/run to fasten your pace? I do it all the time, I kinda feel like I'm in the way if I take my lovely time to cross a road, while a car is waiting to turn into the road I'm crossing. I'll only walk a normal pace, if there is a line-up of cars going straight and that waiting car can't turn anyways.
I call this being mindful of drivers on the road as a pedestrian, and keeping myself safe. In case a driver doesn't see me crossing the road and tries to turn.
Anyone else do this? I feel like I'm the only one that cares to do that. Makes me wonder if those drivers even notices this little gesture of mine and appreciates my actions.
@Jaeteuk No, definitely not. I do that too unless I'm having a bad flareup...most of the time I'm fairly aware of what's going on. Situational awareness is essential to avoiding trouble. "Trouble" can come in many forms besides an oncoming car. I can assure you of that.
@Jaeteuk
I do this all the time. To me, this reflects that we are considerate and want to avoid trouble for other people, which is a nice quality to have! And I believe some drivers would appreciate this.
I walk from the Hospital to the Library every morning. Back and forth, that's crossing 8 times. I usually see others crossing the streets, and they all just walk straight forward without being aware of other cars.
Sometimes when I'm the driver myself, I see people even looking at their phones while crossing a street.
Thank you for pointing out that people like us are more considerate than those who don't do this. But I feel like we're the minority in this behavior.
@Jaeteuk as a driver, I will say that I notice when pedestrians are observant of me, and as a pedestrian, I appreciate when a car clearly recognizes that I am aware of them. I feel like I'm always doing a calculation in my head of "the time it takes them to make the turn" < "the time it takes me to cross the road in front of them" therefore i should let them proceed, and I'm grateful if they let me go. if they do, i usually speed up my pace so as not to hold them up too much.
Thank you for your response and thoughts as a driver and pedestrian. When the crossing is long, with both sides of the road have 3-4 lanes, I usually speed up my pace on half of it, if I see cars are waiting to turn, then walk normally for the remaining. Sometimes, I do try and fast walk through smaller streets, but there's someone behind me that walks at their normal pace. At those times, I feel, well, at least I'm making the effort for the driver to get pass.
On another note, I just read the news that on a common large crossroad in my city, a pedestrian was hit twice crossing the road at a light last week. It was nighttime and raining a bit. Both vehicles left the scene! First car hit her turning left, which already made her unconscious and on the ground, then a second car turning left hit her again. Poor young lady, only in her 20s, still with critical injuries in the hospital. You know, this is a situation where both drivers and pedestrian needs to be more aware of each other, especially during rainy nights.
That's awful! We have a busy street near our neighborhood, and people worry a lot about preferences getting struck, usually at night, and often because they're crossing between interactions, where they're not protected. Also wearing dark clothing.
I do this :0 it just makes sense to me :p
@Jaeteuk I can relate as I adopt a similar mindset when crossing the street as a pedestrian. If I notice a car approaching, I'll turn around so my back faces them and engage with my phone, effectively signaling that they don't need to halt for me. Personally, I find it considerate to avoid inconveniencing drivers, and I make a conscious effort to assess the traffic beforehand. While recognizing our right of way as pedestrians, I prioritize efficiency, acknowledging that it often takes less time for a car to proceed than for me to traverse the road, and I'd rather not disrupt their journey.
Oh yes, my thoughts exactly. I sometimes gesture them to turn and not wait for me to cross to their end too. There are times where I want to take my time crossing the roads. I feel drivers have a destination they want to be at, and I don't want to be the one who stalls them for like 20 seconds as I cross the street.
@Jaeteuk hi
Hello, @Countrygirl095