Have you noticed getting dirty looks from pedestrians when:

Have you noticed getting dirty looks from pedestrians when:

Author
Discussion

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

221 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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You don't automatically stop for a zebra crossing if they're simply waiting to cross?

Cyder

7,100 posts

226 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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You do understand how Zebra crossings work don't you?

chriscpritchard

284 posts

171 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Yeah, give way if the pedestrian is already on the crossing

Highway code (rule 19):
Zebra crossings. Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped.

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

221 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
quotequote all
Cyder said:
You do understand how Zebra crossings work don't you?
Thanks for that snippy answer. Here's one back: Clearly you do not.

The Black Flash

13,735 posts

204 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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I don't think it's ignorance, so much as common useage. Most people, drivers and pedestrians, expect traffic to give way when people are waiting at a crossing.

Sometimes the rules are out of kilter with what the majority does. In those situations, I would contest that the rules should be updated, rather than telling everyone that they're all doing it wrong. See also flashing of headlights.

Nigel Worc's

8,121 posts

194 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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The Black Flash said:
I don't think it's ignorance, so much as common useage. Most people, drivers and pedestrians, expect traffic to give way when people are waiting at a crossing.

Sometimes the rules are out of kilter with what the majority does. In those situations, I would contest that the rules should be updated, rather than telling everyone that they're all doing it wrong. See also flashing of headlights.
A very good post sir.

My father, attempting to keep his then young son out of harms way, and to try and stop him harming others whilst terrorising people with his powerful motorcycle explained it to me thus :

This is not exactly correct in law .... but I'm sure you'll get the idea.

A Zebra crossing is the pavement, that you can ride/drive over when pedestrians don't wish to use it.

A pelican crossing is the road whilst the lights are on green, and the pavement when they are not green.

You often see Germany quoted on here favourably when were talking about speed, well their take is a vehicle must stop if a pedestrian is withing fiver meters of a crossing ...... so in this case, be thankful we don't do that !

Deva Link

26,934 posts

251 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Tonsko said:
Cyder said:
You do understand how Zebra crossings work don't you?
Thanks for that snippy answer. Here's one back: Clearly you do not.
The pedestrian only has to put a foot on the crossing and you're in all sorts of trouble if you don't / can't stop. It's generally best to just stop.

The other missunderstood thing is you're not supposed to drive on while people are on the crossing, even it the way in front of you is clear as the pedestrians cross the other lane.

Cyder

7,100 posts

226 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Tonsko said:
Cyder said:
You do understand how Zebra crossings work don't you?
Thanks for that snippy answer. Here's one back: Clearly you do not.
See Deva Link and TBF's answer, I said 'how they work' not 'what the rules of the road are'.

fk walking out onto one until the traffic is stopped it's just not a sensible thing to do.

fido

17,215 posts

261 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Deva Link said:
The other missunderstood thing is you're not supposed to drive on while people are on the crossing, even it the way in front of you is clear as the pedestrians cross the other lane.
.. unless there is a central street refuge or reservation - then it's treated as two separate crossings.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

251 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
quotequote all
fido said:
Deva Link said:
The other missunderstood thing is you're not supposed to drive on while people are on the crossing, even it the way in front of you is clear as the pedestrians cross the other lane.
.. unless there is a central street refuge or reservation - then it's treated as two separate crossings.
Correct.

Distant

2,362 posts

199 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Deva Link said:
The pedestrian only has to put a foot on the crossing and you're in all sorts of trouble if you don't / can't stop. It's generally best to just stop.
Agreed.

Deva Link said:
The other missunderstood thing is you're not supposed to drive on while people are on the crossing, even it the way in front of you is clear as the pedestrians cross the other lane.
Do you have a source for this?

samwilliams

836 posts

262 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Tonsko said:
Thanks for that snippy answer. Here's one back: Clearly you do not.
If you follow the rules to the letter, they just don't work. Thankfully, most people are more sensible than that.

For motorists:
look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross
you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing

(which, by my understanding means that you don't HAVE to stop if someone's waiting, but you probably should)

For pedestrians:
always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross or push a pram onto a crossing

So, cars don't have to stop until a pedestrian has moved onto the crossing, and a pedestrian shoudn't start until a car has stopped. But, if a pedestrian does start, then the car MUST stop.

Someone didn't think these rules through!!

BertBert

19,539 posts

217 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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samwilliams said:
Someone didn't think these rules through!!
When they were invented, it didn't occur to the writer that [tttish] drivers wouldn't stop. For that very reason, yes I do assertively step on to the crossing to get the traffic to stop.

Bert

Munter

31,326 posts

247 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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19

Zebra crossings. Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped.

20

Where there is an island in the middle of a zebra crossing, wait on the island and follow Rule 19 before you cross the second half of the road – it is a separate crossing.

So the code tells pedestrians to get on the crossing or cars dont have to stop. But not to get on the crossing if the cars have not stopped. All in one rule!

20 covers the "island = two crossings" question.

ffc

679 posts

165 months

Saturday 5th March 2011
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Tonsko said:
You don't automatically stop for a zebra crossing if they're simply waiting to cross?
I'd say it was good manners to stop, even if they haven't put a foot on the crossing. I always feel guilty when I don't usually because I haven't seen the pedestrian which is generally down to poor concentration on my part.

7mike

3,075 posts

199 months

Sunday 6th March 2011
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Tonsko said:
You don't automatically stop for a zebra crossing if they're simply waiting to cross?
Why wouldn't you?

Didn't see them in time= poor driving
Saw them waiting but it would have been dangerous to stop because vehicle behind was too close= poor planning.
I'm a selfish tt= poor driving

I believe the word 'unobtrusive' often appears when talking about good road driving so getting dirty looks from pedestrians may say more about the driver than he wishes to admit. wink

B0bman

49 posts

166 months

Sunday 6th March 2011
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A slight detour, but doesn't it annoy when a pedestrian is standing apparently waiting to cross but when you slow/stop it becomes clear that that isn't why they are stood there. They might be simply daydreaming or having a chat and the passing traffic all has to slow unnecessarily.

As you were ;-)

Robb F

4,590 posts

177 months

Sunday 6th March 2011
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7mike said:
Why wouldn't you?

Didn't see them in time= poor driving
Saw them waiting but it would have been dangerous to stop because vehicle behind was too close= poor planning.
I'm a selfish tt= poor driving

I believe the word 'unobtrusive' often appears when talking about good road driving so getting dirty looks from pedestrians may say more about the driver than he wishes to admit. wink
Or I don't want to stop and have to pull away again.

I'll be past them in five seconds but it will take 30-40 seconds for me to stop, wait for them to cross and get back up to speed again. Assuming there is no one behind me of course

You think rude, I think efficient.

shovelheadrob

1,564 posts

177 months

Sunday 6th March 2011
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So what happens here http://www.abbeyroad.com/visit/ best viewed mid day

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

221 months

Sunday 6th March 2011
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<sniiiiip>

Edited by Tonsko on Sunday 6th March 11:58