Thomas MacMillan File Photo
Independent reader Rebecca Turcio, aka Cedar Hill Resident, sent in this opinion piece about a recent encounter with a hard-to-see pedestrian.
New Haven is on the road to becoming more pedestrian friendly. I love the bike lanes and pedestrian signs in the road. I love seeing traffic moving slower in our communities. But most of all I love to see the proactive involvement of communities. More people on bikes and on foot only benefit this city and its businesses.
As a driver of a 3,000 pound vehicle, I try to do my part, by driving 15 to 20 mph in our communities to help slow other cars down (I am usually tailgated and honked at because of it). But the speed limit is 25 to 30 throughout the city, so I guess they have the right to honk. I still feel the need to be a pace car.
I am one of those drivers who stop when I see people trying to cross at our lovely new pedestrian signs in the middle of the road. I let other cars out of driveways. I respect bicycle riders and know their plight sharing the road. I call it common courtesy and respect for all.
But when coming home from work last night, I had one of those “straw that broke the camel’s back” moments. Driving down Orange Street at a whopping 10 mph, because it was slushy and black ice conditions, I hit the intersection of Orange and Linden Street. It was a little after 5 p.m., so it was dark out. All of a sudden, I just barely noticed a person dressed in dark colors just standing in the middle of the street.
I slammmmmmed my breaks on and slid a bit. Thank god my car stopped. Once I came to a panicked stop and my heart was racing because I really thought my car was going to keep sliding and I was going to hit this person just standing in the middle of the road, I realized the person had done this to stop me so a parent and child standing on the corner could cross.
Now this was a noble and valiant gesture. And in general if I had noticed them I would have stopped. (Remember these pedestrian signs are not stop signs, they are yield-to-pedestrian signs.) And my guess is the people on the corner were aware of the dangerous road conditions and were being cautious for their own safety by waiting the few extras minutes till the road was clear and safe.
I yelled to the person, “You are dressed in black I could not see you!”
They smiled with a look of: I have the right to do that. Yes, the law is that pedestrians have the right of way and the signs indicate to yield etc., but what has happened to common sense? Do we really want to set the example to children that they can just walk into moving traffic because they have the right of way? Yes, I get you are proving a point; you are teaching the car drivers a lesson (and risking your life to do so).
I am not denying that the pedestrian has the right of way, it is the law. But last week on Orange I came across the same thing at 5 p.m. I noticed a court marshal dressed in dark clothes just walk right out, without even stopping at the corner or looking both ways, just right into moving traffic.
Now, because I have a pace car mentality, I can most times stop if someone just walks in front of moving traffic. (I now drive as if someone will) But as I watch other cars, I am the exception to the rule. What happened to common sense and the grammar school lessons, look both ways before you cross?
The last part of this is downtown. I know many of us metal-monster drivers have had this happen. Crosswalks that have the crossing signs. “Hand” means Stop. Walking person means go. How hard is that to understand? Yes again, I know pedestrians have the right of way, it is the law. But the hand means do not walk into moving traffic.
When we say share the road, cars need to learn to respect people on foot and bike. But it goes both ways.
People on foot in this city daily walk into moving traffic, yes “because pedestrians have the right of way and it is the law”. But how cool will your defiance be when you get hit? Have the common courtesy to look both ways and realize that not all cars can stop on a dime, and the one that may not be able to will be the one that kills you.
SHARE THE ROAD applies to all.
Fair enough, and well said!
Sharing goes both ways.
As a pedestrian and cyclist, I always try to keep in mind that drivers may not see us right away, even if they are otherwise conscientious and careful drivers like Ms. Turcio.