To wish that people would understand and respect Pelican Crossings?

[Blu]

Drivers do not seem to understand or care that while the amber light is flashing any pedestrians wishing to cross, or actually crossing, have right of way.

On Friday night the light was flashing, several pedestrians were still crossing, including from the other side of the central island, and it was raining (so doubly inconsiderate to make pedestrians wait on the central island). The bus on the inside lane actually started edging through the pedestrians, scattering them out of the way, and the driver behind me was hooting me. I made flshing signs with my hands in my mirror and got more hooting and she would down her wondow and shouted abuse! The hooting happens all the time.

When I am a pedestrian it drives me mad when cars start zooming through as soon as the flashing amber starts.

Do people generally understand who has right of way on a Pelican Crossing?

Actually once the geen man/amber light is flashing you should not start to cross, however the drivers should wait for everyone to finish crossing the road. The bus driver was wrong, and you should report him.

Green means go, not amber.

The rule is as Eglu says.

If there is a central island, each half of the road is treated separately, I think, so while its inconsiderate to make pedestrians wait there in the rain if they hadn't got to the second part before the flashing amber started, its legally ok.

A driver most certainly shouldn't edge through pedestrians when the amber light is flashing - well, they shouldn't do it at all for reasons of common courtesy and safety.

TBH where I live people seem to understand the rules (except the occasional driver who apparently totally fails to notice the lights at all.)

The Highway Code says
"When the amber light is flashing, you MUST give way to any pedestrians on the crossing. If the amber light is flashing and there are no pedestrians on the crossing, you may proceed with caution.
197
Pelican crossings which go straight across the road are one crossing, even when there is a central island. You MUST wait for pedestrians who are crossing from the other side of the island."

The woman behind was hooting because i was allowing the pedestrians on the central island and on the far side of it to finish crossing - while the amber was flashing.

I wish I had reported the bus driver, but so many buses in S London do this.

Grimma - no, the crossing is treated as one, even if there is a central island.

Maybe I'm thinking of the sort that don't go straight across the road - some are staggered on the central island and there are buttons on it - I'm pretty sure those are treated as 2 parts. But evidently the ones you are referring to are straight so that's irrelevant to what you saw - in that case the drivers were driving illegally.

here.

You're supposed to give way even if the light is green and there are pedestrians still crossing.

I mean, most people would understand that mowing people down is not legal, whatever colour the light, but maybe glaring would be OK? Once the light is green?

You are right about the staggered crossings though

In South London aren't you lucky if they stop at a red light

You're supposed to give way even if the light is green and there are pedestrians still crossing.

You'd have thought drivers would realise that wouldn't you? I mean, the stereotypical little old lady hobbling across, she's fair game is she if the light turns? (again.to be fair, at the crossing I use from DDs bus stop they seem to wait till everyone is across. Lancashire, not sarf lunnun)

When I first moved out of London, I couldn't get over the fact that not only do drivers actually stop for you on zebra crossings - with no traffic lights or anything making them do it! - but also sometimes wait for you to reach the crossing, if you are a few yards away. Amazing.

When I lived in town, I was nearly mown down on several occasions by people who think pedestrian crossings are an opportunity to score several kills. One of the worst was a git who used the crossing as a cover to shriek out of a side road, roaring across the dozen people crossing the road. He came within an inch of me. I was so scared, I automatically swung my bag at him - only I was walking home from a lecture, so my bag was full of heavy textbooks. He pulled up 100 yards down the road and it turned out I'd dented his van.

He tried shouting the odds but I had the fury of the righteous in me - the crossing was outside an old people's home, which made me even more angry. I yelled back and scared him so much he got back in his van and drove off! It was only when he scarpered that I realised my Mother was with me and I'd used every swear word I'd ever heard, with several inventive combinations of the one that they never ever mention on TV even very late at night.

It's probably bad form to refer back to another thread, but IMO, it's fair enough to swear in public at drivers disregarding crossings, edam. On the handful of occasions I have lost my temper and sworn at strangers, either drivers on crossings when they shouldn't be or drivers on pavements and almost reversing into my DS, because they weren't watching where they were going, were the triggers.

I'd like to find some pedestrians locally who realise that you should cross at the pedestrian crossing not expect to cross the road as and when you feel like it through flowing traffic literally 10 feet away from one!

Edam - under those circumstances, I expect your mother was secretly proud of you.

I think it goes both ways. It would be lovely if pedestrians waited for the Green Man to start crossing the road, and not expect all traffic to stop because they don't want to wait for their turn.

I don't look at the green man. I look at the vehicles to see if they actually have stopped before walking.

They seem to be phasing out the flashing amber to get over this problem. All the new crossings round our way now have amber and red on before green or is this a different bird crossing?

Useless information alert. It is actually a PELICON crossing, standing for PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled crossing.

London was it love? I live in Maida Vale and I have never seen such selfish drivers. I have been stuck on central islands in heavy rain and have they stopped to let me cross? Have they fuck. I have a driving licence (passed in 1995). I drove in the north and would always give pedestrians a chance to cross. What pisses me off is the zebra crossing near me.Since I moved here in 1997 the amount of motorists that sound their horn whilst I am crossing is staggering. I do not dawdle, I am an athlete. My usual response is to tap their windscreens and say 'Do you not understand the Highway Code' Usually use the c**t word too (especially if they are in a 4 x 4 with kids in the back)!!!

Viviandarkbloom - I know exactly what you mean. Some drivers splash you on purpose. I. used to live in central London before moving to Maida Vale. A local minicab driver did this to me on purpose. One night, I returned from my nightshift and saw him napping in his cab. I ran in my flat, urinated into an empty water bottle and ran back out and poured it down his windscreen. He never drove througha puddle again whilst I was waiting at the bus stop!!!

I anyone does not stop when I'm trying to cross the road on a crossing, especially in car parks then I'll kick their car or best use a trolley as cover so they end up scratching their car to pieces.
Can't stand people who think they can speed up rather than wait one second for someone to cross

Ripeberry - Brilliant
Love it

London was it love? I live in Maida Vale and I have never seen such selfish drivers. I have been stuck on central islands in heavy rain and have they stopped to let me cross? Have they fuck. I have a driving licence (passed in 1995). I drove in the north and would always give pedestrians a chance to cross. What pisses me off is the zebra crossing near me.Since I moved here in 1997 the amount of motorists that sound their horn whilst I am crossing is staggering. I do not dawdle, I am an athlete. My usual response is to tap their windscreens and say 'Do you not understand the Highway Code' Usually use the c**t word too (especially if they are in a 4 x 4 with kids in the back)!!!

Interesting about the etymology of 'pelican' - they do call it pelican in the highway code, though.

I do always try and be considerate to pedestrians, but you get such grief off other drivers.

The other situation is turning L across a bus and cycle lane- as I understand it you wait until cyclists have passed in the bus lane, but white van drivers see this as a cue to hoot and yell abuse.

I agree that pedestrians can roam about in traffic and be inconsiderate, too, but I don't think that means that drivers should ever ignore pedestrian rights at pelican crossings.

I have gotten very good at reporting bus drivers who do that (not stopping at zebra crossings, driving through red/amber, driving through puddles).
I think it has worked or the busdrivers have had better training they are all scared of me