Has anyone else noticed London pedestrians are suicidal?
Discussion
I swear it's getting worse by the week. I drive through Soho/West End fairly regularly and the number of people who just step into the road without looking, let alone waiting for a green man, is absolutely mental.
Had a classic the other day on Wardour Street. Some bloke just wanders straight out in front of me, earbuds in, staring at his phone, no signal nothing. I give a short polite pip of the horn - you know, the "hello I'm here" tap, not even a proper blast - and he turns around and absolutely unloads on me. Full torrent of abuse. Like *I'm* the unreasonable one for not wanting to run him over.
I don't get it. When did it become the driver's fault for pointing out that someone is about to walk into moving traffic? Feel like we've completely lost the plot. Pedestrians have right of way at zebra crossings, cool fine great. But just stepping into a live road without looking and then getting angry at the car for existing? That's not "pedestrian priority", that's just Darwin Award behaviour.
Am I the only one noticing this, or is every driver in London just silently losing their mind while people treat the roads like pedestrianised zones?
Had a classic the other day on Wardour Street. Some bloke just wanders straight out in front of me, earbuds in, staring at his phone, no signal nothing. I give a short polite pip of the horn - you know, the "hello I'm here" tap, not even a proper blast - and he turns around and absolutely unloads on me. Full torrent of abuse. Like *I'm* the unreasonable one for not wanting to run him over.
I don't get it. When did it become the driver's fault for pointing out that someone is about to walk into moving traffic? Feel like we've completely lost the plot. Pedestrians have right of way at zebra crossings, cool fine great. But just stepping into a live road without looking and then getting angry at the car for existing? That's not "pedestrian priority", that's just Darwin Award behaviour.
Am I the only one noticing this, or is every driver in London just silently losing their mind while people treat the roads like pedestrianised zones?
Yeah... we're being trained to let our safety be someone else's responsibility. Also, L'Oreal... because you're worth it.
Should be fun when people go on holiday as they'll step out into Spanish traffic thinking that they have right of way. Not that I'm hearing of an increase in British tourists being run over. Yet.
Should be fun when people go on holiday as they'll step out into Spanish traffic thinking that they have right of way. Not that I'm hearing of an increase in British tourists being run over. Yet.
RazerSauber said:
I'm not sure suicidal is the correct term, just ignorant. No concept of their surroundings or mortality. Just a case of I need to cross the road so I will. Happens in many heavily built up areas. Seems less so in more rural areas.
obliviousthe most dangerous road users in london for me are the cyclists who come belting up the inside and swing across your front wing with out ever moving their head, if i was acceleration they would be toast... i just about register the blind spot warning light has been triggered.
happens at least once a week
I recently walked and cycled around Berlin. It was shockingly easy.
People on bikes, cars and on foot all seemed to rub along fine.
It is possible.
Pedestrians wait for the green Ampel man before crossing, even at an empty road.
Car drivers give way to people on foot crossing side roads, as a matter of course.
In a whole day of riding a bike around the busy city, not one person honked their car horn at us, cut us up, close-passed or stepped out in front of us.
The public transport is excellent too.
People on bikes, cars and on foot all seemed to rub along fine.
It is possible.
Pedestrians wait for the green Ampel man before crossing, even at an empty road.
Car drivers give way to people on foot crossing side roads, as a matter of course.
In a whole day of riding a bike around the busy city, not one person honked their car horn at us, cut us up, close-passed or stepped out in front of us.
The public transport is excellent too.
Dave Hedgehog said:
oblivious
the most dangerous road users in london for me are the cyclists who come belting up the inside and swing across your front wing with out ever moving their head, if i was acceleration they would be toast... i just about register the blind spot warning light has been triggered.
happens at least once a week
Likely a cycle lane, regularly I’ll be riding faster than traffic using a lane, and you’re not going to accelerate as there’s nowhere to go is there so it’s likely a fairly calculated move whether it feels like it or not to you. the most dangerous road users in london for me are the cyclists who come belting up the inside and swing across your front wing with out ever moving their head, if i was acceleration they would be toast... i just about register the blind spot warning light has been triggered.
happens at least once a week
Hoofy said:
Yeah... we're being trained to let our safety be someone else's responsibility.
That is the nail on the head. I'm 44 and I was told to look for traffic when crossing as it wasn't going to stop for me etc. etc. I tell my kids this now so they are very cautious and don't expect the cars to stop for them. But grown adults do! There's no common sense when people cross, often head in their phones or just an expectation that cars will give way. Cars and pedestrians make for a terrible mix in dense urban situations, a lot of the time as a pedestrian you'd be standing around forever waiting for the Very Important Car Drivers to go away before you could carry on if you didn't just dominate the staircase/road and cross when you felt like it.
There is probably an element of "f
k you for being enough of a knob to feel you have to drive where there are throngs of people trying to walk" as well.
I love cars and driving very much but they have absolutely ruined city centres.
There is probably an element of "f
k you for being enough of a knob to feel you have to drive where there are throngs of people trying to walk" as well.I love cars and driving very much but they have absolutely ruined city centres.
RazerSauber said:
I'm not sure suicidal is the correct term, just ignorant. No concept of their surroundings or mortality. Just a case of I need to cross the road so I will.
I see it more and more often.Just last night a lady about 70 years old walked out of the exit of Kew Gardens straight onto the pelican crossing on the major road outside.
The light was at green for cars and red for pedestrians, but she didn't look at all. She walked out at a normal speed as well, not as through she was trying to rush across before the next car came along.
Fortunately, the next car wasn't going too fast and managed to stop, but she was furious when the driver had the temerity to give a short horn blast in frustration!
It's a growing sense of entitlement, combined with an increasing trend of reacting with aggression if any faults are pointed out by somebody else.
It's not just pedestrians of course, it's drivers too. Try using your horn to give another vehicle a warning as per Highway Code Rule 112 and see what sort of reaction you get.
It's not just pedestrians of course, it's drivers too. Try using your horn to give another vehicle a warning as per Highway Code Rule 112 and see what sort of reaction you get.
I was in disbelief when I read about this a while back, I am sure it was Germany they have lights at foot level to show when its time to cross the road...so phone users don't have to look up at the normal lights, maybe Sadiq Khunt could get some for the London streets.
That is the height of ridiculousness..!!!
That is the height of ridiculousness..!!!
Clad-Hach said:
I was in disbelief when I read about this a while back, I am sure it was Germany they have lights at foot level to show when its time to cross the road...so phone users don't have to look up at the normal lights, maybe Sadiq Khunt could get some for the London streets.
That is the height of ridiculousness..!!!
We have similar things in Melbourne.That is the height of ridiculousness..!!!
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