to actually start to hate car drivers? And yes, I mean ALL of them!

[Rhubarb0oooo]

I probably am being unreasonable as I'm sure many of you will point out but I used to think that the majority of car drivers were courteous and respectful, until I became a proper pedestrian.

I walk a mile to school with ds, then a mile back and again in the afternoon to pick him up. During this walk we have to walk down an A road, cross an entrance to a garden centre, cross a bypass and walk down a B road into the village centre.

Cars and lorries will often come speeding up the A road doing much more than the 40 mph limit and often spraying us both with water (the lorries) as they hurtle past.

Cars entering the garden centre think that it is their right of way and will often drive onto the pavement forcing ds and I to stop or back up and some have even swerved round us as we've been crossing ON OUR PAVEMENT.

Then we get to the bypass which has a pedestrian crossing. Drivers might be in a hurry to get to work but that is no excuse to run the red light whilst people are crossing. Or toot your horn (even though the light is red) or rev your engine. And the number of people on their phones, not looking at the lights, is scary.

Now for the B road into the village where the road is narrow and the pavement only allows for one single line pedestrians. It's a 30mph zone but I have been forced to throw ds onto the steep embankment as cars come flying down, clipping the kerb. I've also had cars hit his lunch bag that is over my shoulder (which gives you an idea of how close they drive to the pavement) and had horns blaring at us for daring to be on the pavement and in their way.

I'd like to think that these are isolated incidents, but this happens to us day after day. I've told the council who are not interested and the police say it is my word against the drivers (when I tried to report a van nearly ploughing into ds and I).

So what makes these reasonable people turn into arrogant bastards when they get behind a wheel and see a mother walking her child to school?

Why should a pedestrian thank a driver for stopping at a crossing? . Does any motorist thank other drivers when they stop at lights?

Drivers do not own the roads. They are a shared resource.

Someone will be along in a minute to say they hate it when people cross the road more slowly than they want, and they like to drive at them...

There have been more posts about that on MN than I care to remember.

I assume Hittheroadjack is being ironic to make a point. I really, really hope she is, anyway.

Sardine, because the second one is hit it's all the drivers' fault. Despite the fact the pedestrian is walking in the pitch black on a country lane.

Likewise with a cyclist.

So glad my insurance premiums go up to cover things like that.

And just so you know, I have no points as I'm a good driver. Pedestrians are just always moaning about rights this and that.

(Defend against the accusation that all drivers are idiots - that's fair enough I suppose. I don't drive like the people the OP describes. But if the cap doesn't fit, simply don't wear it - methinks any driver who feels the need to get hotly defensive on this thread protests too much)

because the second one is hit it's all the drivers' fault
Except that's not actually true.

OP YANBU. Many car drivers in this country have an immense (and wrong) sense of entitlement. They have insurance because cars kill people, and they pay vehicle excise duty because they pollute, yet many seem to be under the misapprehension that they are in some way paying for (?leasing) the roads, rather than tolerated by way of permissive license (CF pedestrians and cyclists who have an absolute legal right to use the highway).

BOP, most drivers are aware there is no such thing as road tax and it comes out of the "main pot".

Nice patronising by stealth though.

Why does anyone have to think they have some sense of entitlement? There is no reason everyone can't use the roads as long as everyone is sensible and curtious. Looking to blame one group of people for problems is just daft!

There have been loads of cases where drivers have killed pedestrians / cyclists and it has been totally the drivers fault and they have got away with it / got a £50 fine / that sort of thing.

Doesn't seem to me that it's the drivers who get blamed, even when they are very much in the wrong. It's looked on as an "accident". Which is why the police and other services say "collision" rather than accident now - so as not to absolve the driver of responsibility before they've even started. I wish the press would get the hang of it too.

OP can you borrow a helmet cam from somebody and record your journey to school then it would not be just your word against theirs? THis has proved to be an effective way forward for some cyclists.... (you could have it on your bag rather than, um, wearing a helmet as a pedestrian although in your circs, perhaps your DS should actually be wearing a helmet).

Where were you reversing when someone walked across, sirzy?

I think the anger from motorists here is a defence mechanism as they are worried about killing someone. I think that must be at the root of it.

I drive also BTW, but walk to school work etc.

In a car park, the people had just come from a footpath leading into the carpark

SardineQueen, you could teach your children some basic 'thank you' manners and they could wave or you could just nod your head. And you are not the only one with children. I have them and now they nod or wave or even say 'thank you' when someone has done something else for them.

And drivers do not have to stop at a non-light pedestrian crossing unless there is a pedestrian actually on it. I stop becuse we can see you waiting.

WibblyBibble. It's not a question of entitlement; it's just manners. If I can say 'thank you' by nodding or a quick wave, why can't you?

Someone will be along in a minute to say they hate it when people cross the road more slowly than they want, and they like to drive at them...

I do have a friend who claims he speeds up when he see's adolescent young men wearing their trousers around their knees 'gang stylee' crossing just to see them try and run/waddle.

I'm not so much worried about killing someone.

I just get rather irritated that people don't take the relevant steps to keep themselves safe. Like for example, walking IN THE MIDDLE of a country lane marked at national speed. Without HV clothing.

Bloody stupidity.

Maybe I'll start driving down there without my headlights on, see how I get on.

I'm more concerned about hitting a badger where I live, as they really damage your car.

Anyone who says "ooh cars don't actually have to stop at a crossing unless someone is standing on it, I always stop if I see people waiting as I'm doing them a favour I'm so nice" is not the pedestrian's friend.

I also concentrate on getting my children across the road thanks rather than stopping and waving at people who they can't actually see from the angle they are at as they are small and pissing them off by holding them up for a millisecond longer than they need be held up.

Children damage your car too, jack, I'm sorry to say.

It will be a shame if your car gets damaged. Maybe you could sue the remaining family?

Not sure that hating is going to help but I would recommend keeping a diary of the more dangerous incidents, noting registrations and perhaps taking a few pictures, or, even better, video then sharing those with the police - if it's at all possible to co-ordinate any of that with looking after your DS!

To drivers, the cause of your peril and discomfort may not be obvious, it makes a big difference to experience roads from different perspectives. As a sometimes driver, I know that sticking to speed limits and being considerate can cause other drivers to be very pushy and rude to me too. Faster and country roads are the worst (and I'm not a slow driver). There is an impatient, entitled attitude that affects quite a few people when they get behind the wheel, not everyone though and some people are selfish twits in all situations.

I'd suggest being as visible and assertive as possible, reflective tabards could be a good idea, they convey an 'official' and 'trying to get your attention' image.

'Living Streets' might be helpful: www.walktoschool.org.uk/

I've long walked a mile or so to work at rush hour, in a city and my particular bugbears are people stopping too far forward at junctions, so on the pedestrian crossing, or not understanding box-junctions, so getting stuck in the middle of a busy junction once the lights have changed and deciding the best thing to do is drive forwards, on top of a pedestrian crossing on green.

By myself I'm quite assertive and agile, so will squeeze through or march in front of them, holding up my hand to 'stop' them and indicating the 'green man', so my right of way, while walking briskly. I have seen mothers with pushchairs stuck for more than one cycle of the lights though. People parking far up on pavements are a big problem too.

I'm a nice driver when it comes to pedestrians with kids and who are kids, to the rest of the general public I am evil. Especially other drivers and cyclists that don't pull over.

The other day a cyclist was in the middle of the road so I could not safely over take him, when I eventually got the opportunity and took it he was so incensed that he tried to have a go at me at traffic lights. He was just about to call be a effing whatever when he lost his balance and fell onto my bonnet..... That made my day!!

anotheremptynest I did also say that I try to at least nod but you haven't bothered reading that have you, just saw what you wanted to see.

posies why are you "evil" to pedestrians who do not have children with them? What do you get out of that?

YANBU

I think there should be 10 yearly driving tests.

The amount of people who speed up to go through a pedestrian crossing just going red is pretty much 9 out of 10.

I just about put my driving examiner through the windscreen stopping at an almost red light. I asked her about it afterwards and she said that had I not stopped she would have failed me.

Some old people do not even see red lights at pedestrian crossings (ime).

Yes, most drivers are inconsiderate.

Hittheroadjack - but it's not simply that roads are paid for out of the main pot but the point that drivers are NOT contributing any more than anyone else, even though many say things like "cyclists/pedestrians aren't paying like we are". The extra drivers pay, by way of vehicle excise duty, does not even cover the external costs of pollution, let alone leave any money over for road maintenance, in a general pot or otherwise. If you are "for real" and not a troll, then your attitude is breathtakingly selfish and dangerous. Seriously. Yes, cars are an important part of your modern way of life and the economy would not function without them BUT it is perfectly possible (as Sirzy points out) for drivers, cyclists, car drivers etc to all share the road as long as no one group (particularly not the group driving round in a tonne of metal) feels that they are in any way more entitled or superior. The idea that you LIKE racing through villages at high speeds is one that leaves me shuddering. I hope that your children never meet drivers like you when they are walking to school.

Oh, my cousin was run over, aged 10, at a pedestrian crossing that was showing a red light to the cars. He was crossing the road from school to his mother on the other side of the road. The cretin who drove into him (leaving him in a coma for 2 months and permanently disabled mentally and physically) got a £50 fine even though she ran the red, hit him in the air and failed to stop. It was 30 years ago so attitudes have moved on a little for most, but seemingly not all.