Re. Pedestrian crossings?

[pseudonymity]

Boring alert: to think that when crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing people should walk straight across, if you are going to veer off to the left or right - fine - but DON'T walk in front of people going straight across and cut them up/block their paths!

Agreed. Can I also add: don't stop the instant you get to the kerb on the other side and gaze around you, let the people behind get out of the road!

Yanbu

I'm a lollipop lady on a normal school crossing.

Every day people walk headlong into each other, walk across each other, do the 'excuse me dance' as they try to pass each other, pile into the back of each other because someone's stopped dead at the kerb on the other side.

Christ, is it that hard to walk from one side to the other?

YANBU. A few days ago a woman did that sudden veering in front of me on a crossing and then tutted at me when I accidentally kicked her, I couldn't avoid her she was that close.

Slightly off topic:

I wish people would give a clear indication that they intend in using the crossing before veering in to the road. The high Street in my local town is heaving. The pavements are narrow and there are loads of zebra crossings. There is literally no way to tell if someone is going to walk past the crossing or use it, unless they pause momentarily and look at the cars before stepping out. The amount of people who just suddenly step out is unreal. Drivers do go very slowly but it is so nerve wracking going down there.

Isn't it sensible to just double check that the cars have seen you, before you step out?

That is how you are supposed to use it stop look at the traffic wait for an indication that they are stopped (ie not bloody moving) and then cross. Drivers as soon as there is an indication that a pedestrian wants to cross - ie they are stood at the kerb actively watching the traffic, should stop

Indeed, supposed to.

I'm a pedestrian and these crossings terrify me. I avoid them like the plague and usually wait for a break in the traffic and cross a bit further down the road instead. They are just a huge, potentially fatal game of chicken and I see from this thread that drivers find them equally scary

What I hate is pushing a pushchair from a quiet side to a busy side - so maybe one or two people crossing against ten. Do any of the ten step aside slightly to let you through? Do they bollocks. Even though you're bloody big enough. You can't go round them or you struggle to get up the kerb at the other side (with traffic now bearing down on you). An ordinary pedestrian can move much more nimbly than a pushchair! Use this ability! This goes double when you are pushing a double pushchair that's heavy as fuck and about as manoeuvrable as a tank.