Feeling Strange
Posted by ThatSuperHippie@reddit | plano | View on Reddit | 25 comments
Was walking North on the signalized crosswalk at Alma and Spring Creek last night. Had a flashing light on my back and walked when the signal prompted us to. We got past the median and noticed a black truck slowing down from a left turn so I turned around and threw my hands up indicating that it was not cool for them to have gone before we finished crossing cause we’d have easily been injured if they happen not to see us last minute. Driver blasted off and honked their horn like we did something wrong. Even when we wear lights, and cross at the signal on our turn, pedestrians are seen as the problem.
Feeling-Scientist703@reddit
Probably just didn't see you, is your life so boring and uneventful that you felt this warranted a reddit post?
Or are you by chance schizophrenic and thinking this was some sort of elaborate kidnapping attempt?
Oblio36@reddit
This is absolutely the fault of poor signalization. It has been exacerbated by the conversion to left on yellow. At many lower volume intersections there is no phase that gives protection to pedestrians that are crossing against left turns . Dallas is the same way, and it is a conscious decision of traffic engineers to risk pedestrians to allow a few more left movements.
Silent-Attention6685@reddit
This! Ave. K southbound at Spring Creek signal was changed a couple of months ago making it far more dangerous.
Silent-Attention6685@reddit
Seems like half the street lights in Plano don't work which doesn't help drivers in seeing pedestrians. Even when working, they are often poorly located providing very little useful illumination. I reported two broken lights at Alma and Legacy to Oncor Tuesday night. And almost every street in town has lanes blocked for never ending street reconstruction. I read that the city streets manager was replaced this year. I hope the old one was fired.
acaii@reddit
They probably didn’t see you. I’d be mad too but you gotta move as if no one sees you. It’s quite unusual to have to see and yield to walkers around here.
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
I get you. Is there something else we could do to be more visible or is this dependent on the driver? We walk around because we want more drivers to see people walking and know how to look out for people at any type of scenario. I was just upset they honked at us but that could be a road rage issue, not an issue with us specifically.
acaii@reddit
Have flashing lights in every direction? IMO, you just need to look out for yourself and move as if no one sees you. As a cyclist myself, I ask myself all the time if I’d rather be right or if I’d rather be alive.
You prob experienced some minor road rage - happens in the car. You honk at someone about to hit you or not paying attention and then THEY get mad , like they have some right (scoff).
killedbyboar@reddit
Agree and I often say this as a joke: There is a special place in Heaven for those who died from defending their right of the way.
Cloudy_Automation@reddit
It depends on the driver, but wear light clothing with reflective tape or patches. That still doesn't help until their headlights are pointed at you. Truewerk apparrel has an interesting design for that, they have two 2"x1" reflective strips 2" apart because one of the first things we key on as a baby is the pattern of eyes. Our eyes/brains have gotten used to straight lines because that's what buildings look like.
I nearly hit a pedestrian at a residential 4 way stop because they were in a blind spot, hidden by the A pillar. Don't underestimate blind spots. In the mind of the driver, you popped up out of nowhere.
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
Actually insightful, thank you.
wilkilla@reddit
As I got older, I learned a valuable lesson: In traffic, it's best to assume everyone is doing their best, even when they make mistakes. Some drivers may intentionally provoke reactions, but escalating the situation can lead to dangerous consequences.
Remember these tips in such situations:
el-mero-jefe@reddit
Sounds liken it's your fault for crossing. 🤣🤣🤣
redthump@reddit
HOW DARE YOU QUESTION THEIR ACTIONS! People hate being called out.
heinzenfeinzen@reddit
i'm just trying to understand the title of the post ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
I got you. I simply am not very creative.
Foampower86@reddit
Some people suck.
EnvironmentalLuck515@reddit
You can have the right of way and be right until the cows come home. Push comes to shove, you're the one dead if you get hit or if a wacko in a black truck at night isn't a stable human being. Move through town as if you are the only one looking out for you. Because you are.
wbd3434@reddit
Probably didn't see you. And right-of-way or not, never walk out into traffic until you know they've seen you. 100% of the time, I'll be yielding to the 4000lb machines.
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
We were past the median (more than halfway done crossing) when the left-turner came up behind us. I didn’t look behind us in the middle of the crossing when there were no cars present at the start of the walk signal. I’ll try to be more careful though.
wbd3434@reddit
That's really all you can do. I run around here in the dark constantly. Best policy is to always yield to cars and cross very fast. Glad you weren't hurt! It can get sketcky.
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
U/tacolover281 replied “Were you walking expeditiously or taking all day to cross? I never understand people in crosswalks who walk so slowly and stop traffic and don’t care.”
Apologies if I accidentally deleted the comment or if they meant to remove it. Just want to answer any questions that come if to have a varied discussion.
We were walking pretty fast, not really the type to take a lot of time to cross because we know getting across as fast as possible is best for every mode of transport.
Matchboxx@reddit
So instead of exiting the crosswalk, you stopped to make a gesture at the driver, taking even longer to get out of the way? And you are asking why you were honked at?
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
I turned while walking so I didn’t stop or slow down. Also didn’t feel like having to run the last ten feet to the sidewalk just to get out of the way of a driver who didn’t look before turning on a flashing yellow arrow.
ThatSuperHippie@reddit (OP)
I turned while walking so I didn’t stop or slow down. Also didn’t feel like having to run the last ten feet to the sidewalk just to get out of the way of a driver who didn’t look before turning on a flashing yellow arrow.
tacolover281@reddit
Were you walking expeditiously or taking all day to cross? I never understand people in crosswalks who walk so slowly and stop traffic and don’t care.