I walk many miles every day (health reasons), and have some advice to offer my fellow citizens on the road:
Hey pedestrians, rules/laws exist that apply to walking. The main rule: Always walk facing traffic! This rule is for your safety — if some crazy driver careens off the road, at least you have a chance to react. This applies whether or not you are using a sidewalk.
When you use a crosswalk, don’t walk when that red hand you see is lit up — stop means stop, even if there are no cars close by. I see folks casually breaking the law like this every day.
Regarding bicycle riders: Hey, wear a helmet! More importantly, a bicycle is considered a vehicle, which means you must stay to your right, following the flow of car traffic. Don’t be blowing by me from behind when I am walking, shouting out “on your left!” as you break the rules of safety. If your destination is on my side of the street, cross over at the next intersection available.
Let’s not forget the cars. Hey drivers, using your turn signal is not an option! Do you know how upsetting it is for a pedestrian when you suddenly decide to turn into some business when I am crossing the driveway? Also, when you are pulling out of a driveway, how about actually looking both to your left and right? I frequently encounter drivers who never think about the possibility of a pedestrian walking legally right in front of them — and sometimes I must walk behind the car, which puts me at risk from cars on the road that might be making a left turn into the same area, and cannot see me walking behind that thoughtless driver!
When I am crossing a multi-lane street, and a car approaching me from the front is signaling a right turn, that car has the right to make that turn in front of me — as long as I am less than half-way across the street — don’t sit there, waiting for me to completely cross the street. The law is that the car can execute the turn, as long as the pedestrian is less than half-way across the intersection. There is no need to be backing up folks behind you as I am crossing the street a reasonable distance from you!
I frequently see these transgressions of the law being ignored by a police car that happens to be in the area. Come on, law enforcement, if you don’t enforce these types of infractions, what message are you sending to the general public? The law is the law — please enforce all laws, that is what citizens pay you to do.
J. D. Bell
Everett
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