I make eye contact and walk at a normal pace. In Spain people get mad when cars drive down city streets. They glare daggers at you while they clear the street begrudgingly. We need that energy in the United States. Cars should know that they are second class citizens.
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In parking lots, I usually don’t even make eye contact. I mean I keep the cars in the corner of my vision so I don’t get killed, but it’s their job to not hit me, I’m not going to duck and dodge around them.
I do this particularly in parking lots because those drivers are 2 minutes from becoming pedestrians themselves, so it seems fitting.
My move is a vague wave in the car’s direction as I start crossing. It’s a mix between “I know who you are and I’m fine with it” and “you shall not pass”.
I don’t even particularly like it, but it’s something I saw my dad doing when I was a kid and now it just… comes out. Socialization is weird.
Same. It’s a half “nice of you” and half “I’m going now and I’m making that clear” mostly so I don’t get run over.
So weird though. Two humans walking at the same intersection will usually both try to find a suitable way around one another. Of course there are exceptions, but generally, pretty even and respectful encounter.
Throw one of those humans behind the wheel of a car and a TON of them behave completely different. As if the people walking don’t deserve the space in the world. Or that they don’t have the right to be “in the way.”
I try very hard to be a courteous driver and pedestrian, but just can’t believe how many greedy, selfish drivers there are. Eye opening if you walk around a lot.
Well, yeah, two humans at the same intersection can sidestep, move at snail’s pace and weigh roughly as much as a small donkey or a large dog.
Give one of those apes a literal ton of metal hurling itself at cheetah speeds at the slightest provocation and able only to sort of slightly alter its trajectory in a bit of a parabola and the power dynamics understandably shift a bit.
Here’s a fun note, I’m from a place where pedestrian crossings are seen as a mild invitation to slow down, so I tend to wait to see the car fully stopped before I do the magic handwave thing and cross. When I moved to a different country where stopping is seen as mandatory as long as there is anybody waiting to cross I got a TON of angry gestures hurled at me for doing that because drivers thought I was wasting their time by crossing too slowly.
Still can’t bring myself to jump in front of the self-propelled metal missile coming my way at lethal speeds without at least seeing some slowing down, though.
The difference is still there for many drivers when at a complete standstill.
I’ve been in the same situation. Amazing how different pedestrian right of way can be, even in cities less than 100 miles apart. But countries are another story. Sweden vs Vietnam is an interesting transition, although Vietnam is still relatively pedestrian friendly in the sense that they’ll try to avoid you and don’t get angry because you exist. In some parts of Mexico, it literally feels like the drivers want to run you over, even if you blatantly have the right of way.
Cars are evil and they make the people who drive them evil. Cars are the one ring.
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Are you sure they’re not just doing normal eye contact to make sure they’re not getting run over? It’s more or less taught like that here in Germany.
Positive 😄 i went to marbella for a medical thing and stayed in the old town, and when the hospital sent a car to pick me up, people were very annoyed every time.
How did they express their annoyance, other than looking at the driver?
Angry hand gestures, obviously taking their time getting out of the way, etc
A thumbs down is so much better as a reaction to a shit driver than a middle finger. One just says, “Hey fuck you”, while the other says, “I am disappointed in you”
I posted the following in another thread but this is what I do:
I’m a tiny woman who isn’t starting road rage, so what I do is just make the other person concerned. I’ve done this as a pedestrian and a driver.
It’s really easy, as a pedestrian walking past, pause slightly and drop your eyes to their front grill, tilt your head slightly and grimace. If in the car, point and sit up in your seat like you’re trying to get a better view of their car and do the same face. Look alarmed even.
I’ve seen multiple drivers pull over to check out their cars. At the very least it makes them take time out of their day for no reason - and inconveniencing dickheads is always fun - but given we’re in Australia, their imagination can take them to all kinds of places. What did she see? Is it still there? Is it in my car now???
Similar to the pretending to step over something prank, but this makes the person worry about what’s wrong with their car all day. Far more effective.
I love this so much, I’m stealing this idea. Thank you!
Entirely off topic.
I have no idea why but I got seriously intense deja vous reading this comment. I’m pretty sure I’ve never read this actual comment before, though.
Do you write like this a lot? Maybe I’ve come across you before.
I did copy it from another thread I’d written it in?
I’ve been told I write how I speak (writing’s my job) so I guess that hints at a somewhat distinctive way of writing? so you may have seen me about the place?
Nothing wholesome about this obsequious subservience to cars.
Wholesome would be reclaiming the streets for people.
The same people usually do the same while driving, like stopping very cleanly and making eye contact to make the pedestrian feel safe. Or being quick, polite, and clear when at the store checkout
It’s a people pleaser thing, not a ‘subservient to cars’ thing
They’re not waving to the car.
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like stockholm syndrome, but for cars?
Volvo syndrome?
Pedestrian crossings are part of the sidewalk and there is no reason for a human to ever be ‘thankful’ to continue walking exactly where they’re meant to. Remember, at an uncontrolled marked crossing, a pedestrian always has the right of way, whether it’s going over a small one lane street or (shudders) a four lane highway.
There’s no reason for a human to ever be “thankful” in millions of situations. You’re allowed to be gracious. You don’t need to be callous about how the world has to be.
Being kind is fine, but I’m not going to thank a random person on the street for not mugging just like I won’t thank a driver for not putting my life in danger. I consider there to be a bare minimum of human behavior that doesn’t require thanks: putting trash in a bin rather than littering, not pissing onto a park bench, following the law for pedestrian crossings, etc.
. I consider there to be a bare minimum of human behavior
And part of that ‘bare minimum’ is acting graciously in your interactions with other people.
At worst, your giving up two seconds of your day to make someone else feel appreciated.
Maybe there is some confusion - I’m not talking about yelling at a driver following the rules. All I’m saying is that it’s sad people feel like they have to run across the street like animals even though they have the right of way.
It’s not even real gratitude. It’s a phatic expression in the same sense as “what’s up” and “how are you?” not actually intending to be a serious question on what’s happening in their life. Expressions like these exist in every language to help with social interaction, in a sense it’s what gives language its human element, beyond just a medium of information transport. Hell even tons of animals have similar types of behaviours so it seems really weird to be so staunchly against this very common and basic kind of communication.
I fucking hate cars and I still wave drivers who stop simply because that’s the common etiquette. It takes nearly zero effort so it’s more of a why not do it type situation. I genuinely think it’s easier to just do it instead of getting worked up and opposing it because it’s such a simple thing that doesn’t have any negative side effects on you.
I’ll nod in thanks to a driver who slows to permit me to cross sooner. Because the alternative is me waiting longer to cross since I will not be commiting suicide to prove a point about ‘right of way’ by stepping in front of their moving car.
They should stop, but lots don’t…as such I’ll thank those who do. But hey, I also thank the fast food worker for handing me my bag of mcnuggies even though doing so doesn’t really make sense since they have no choice.
No progress will happen in society if everyone is submissive to the people who decided to pilot a death machine that day. I will walk legally and it is their responsibility to stop their vehicle safely, not mine
Similarly, pedestrians always have the right of way on the road. You may have been convinced otherwise, but Jay-walking is car manufacturer made up bullshit. It is illegal in some states, but even still pedestrians have the right of way, you can just be fined for exercising it. Roads were originally owned by people, not cars. Cars were visitors who now have overstayed their welcome.
misread car as cat at first and was like “yup, reasonable - i also want cats to like me.”
I’m always sure to honk my horn and yell “Great job, genius!” so they know I think they’re doing great and also smarter than average.
I usually don’t like it when they do this. It often forces me to cross even though I haven’t checked the other lane or the bicycle paths. I much prefer waiting when I have to wait, it makes everything more predictable and lowers the chance of accidents.
I guess it depends on where you live. In my town its just assumed the cars are going to stop anyways and so pedestrians are dangerously dismissive of the existence of cars on crossways, sometimes people don’t even look before crossing.
Drivers have learned this and are always super careful near crossways and new arrived pedestrians get used to it quickly and keep the pattern going.
I mean this is how it should be, pedestrian cross are for pedestrian, cars are entering pedestrian zone on them not opposite, the infrastructure should be changed to make it more obvious like they do in Netherlands
Oh I agree, I like the way they do it here.
i would personaly advise against running thru crossings (you become less predictable if you run)
I do this too, but actually it is kind of ridiculous, because i often cross in places where cars are obligated to stop, but most never do and try to quickly drive through, so that pedestrians and people on their bikes need to watch carefully as to not get run over
In my state cars have the right of way unless it’s a crosswalk and you have the signal to cross.
https://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-32-motor-vehicles-and-traffic/al-code-sect-32-5a-212/
Jaywalking is a capitalist conspiracy, pedestrians should control the means of crossing
I agree, but I live in Alabama everything here is backwards.
My wife calls them hedgehog legs.
If I get there at the same time as a car and they stop then I’ll politely hurry through. If I’m a ways off and they stop and try to wave me through, I’m not rushing. You could have already gone before I got to the crosswalk. You made your own bad decision, it’s not my burden.
Everyone else does it just because it’s polite
I had to read that word like three times.
