I will take the ticket.
I watch marked crosswalks carefully. I can still be surprised by people peering out from behind 6 ft tall SUVS as I drive by but for the most part I catch them all.
But I will no longer stop for those in unmarked crosswalks on I35 or the 3 and 4 lane sections of other arterials.
Why?
Because while not all WS pedestrians are as dumb as rocks, enough of them are that I will play the odds with a ticket rather than contribute to their suicide by stupid.
Scenario one: I stop for family in unmarked crosswalk on California. They walk out into street, NEVER ONCE glancing at traffic on other side of the street where one car is slowing and another is passing in the turn lane. I blow my horn and the parents grab children and retreat.
Scenario two:
I see a car slowing for a pedestrian on I35 near Juneau. This is the same spot a highschooler was hit last year. The setup is the same. Car in right lane stops, I stop behind them and cars in the next lane keep coming. Cars in the oncoming lanes keep going as well since they can't see beyond the SUV that is turning left. At this point the pedestrian has enough sense to give up and walk a block to the marked, signal lit crosswalk to safely cross the street.
Even on two lane arterials. (Manning) fully 10% of the times I stop for people crossing at unmarked corners on two lane streets, they refuse to look at the oncoming lane when crossing.
Ya just can't fix stupid but you can refuse to contribute to it.
I will not be a party to setting up this potential fatality again.
And in this era of "Urban Camo" as a fashion choice, not seeing pedestrians is not as hard as it once was. If your wearing a bright green coat in spring or a maple leaf red raincoat in the fall, take a little more care when crossing the street and all of us will be better off.
westseattleblog
West Seattle Blog
West Seattle Blog
