To have not waited for the green man for the little boy (and Grandma) before crossing the road

[TwitterQueen1]

Walked into town earlier, waiting on a traffic island to cross the road. Single lane, no cars in sight so I start to cross the road. Grandma says "We're waiting for the little boy to cross the road." gesturing at the pedestrian crossing lights and clearly telling me not to cross but to wait with them. She said it twice - I only realised she was talking to me when she said it more loudly and forcefully. I turned round and said "Jolly good. You wait there then." and walked on.

I don't know how old the boy was - I wasn't paying them any attention. I wasn't close to them - at least 10ft away. There was a Grandma, a mother, a boy, a buggy and I think a Grandad too.

If it was school chucking out time and there was a crowd of children all waiting to cross a road I would have waited. But I'm 58, the boy wouldn't have even seen me. I don't need anyone's permission to cross the road.. WABU?

Ha ha. YWNBU.

Good for them for 'doing it right' as training for a child. There was no need to involve you (they could always have talked about you afterwards, amongst themselves, as an example of 'what not to do', if they wanted).

insane tbh. them not you.

What is much more annoying IMO is adults pushing pedestrian crossing buttons, without a thought, when there is a small child approaching. I have had to wait out a cycle of the lights so dd could be the one to press the button, more than once. (I do realise this is my problem and would never pull up an adult on pressing a ped x or lift button!).

Not unreasonable. I make my son (2; nearly 3) wait for the green Man. Anyone who doesn't is 'naughty' according to him - at full volume so they hear! But no way would I consider making other people wait with us.

YANBU. Love your response.

I think it's dangerous to teach kids to wait for the green man. All it means is the lights should be red for traffic. It could be safe when the red man is showing, or unsafe when the green man is showing. It is best to teach kids to cross when it is safe, i.e. when no traffic is approaching, or it is stopped.

What is much more annoying IMO is adults pushing pedestrian crossing buttons, without a thought, when there is a small child approaching. I have had to wait out a cycle of the lights so dd could be the one to press the button, more than once. (I do realise this is my problem and would never pull up an adult on pressing a ped x or lift button!).

lottiegarbanzo That’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read. You know you can still press the button even if someone else has pressed it, right?! 😂😂😂

OP, YANBU.

What is much more annoying IMO is adults pushing pedestrian crossing buttons, without a thought, when there is a small child approaching.

Do you really expect adults to stop and have a good look around for children who are potentially going to cross the road before pressing the button and getting on with their day Lottie?

Yanbu. Little children need to learn to cross safely. That means waiting even if adults go.

lottie - you actually find it annoying that an adult presses the button ahead of your DC?

Have you considered just telling your DC that they missed the chance to press the button this time, and just cross the road?

They are crazy, by all means they should teach their child how to cross the road safely but don't expect everyone else to get involved!
I once got told off by a lollipop man for not waiting for him to stop the traffic. There was no traffic. I had collected my daughter from school a little early for an appointment and walked down the road where we waited at the kerbside. Lollipop man was faffing about with something or other (didn't see what) I deemed it safe to cross as no oncoming traffic - lollipop man starts jumping about in rage and yelling that we should have waited in case another child followed us. (all other kids were still in school!) I told him that I am perfectly capable of deciding when to cross the road with my child, and that my child was perfectly capable of crossing the road with his assistance when I am not present. Even if the road had been teeming with school children, I would expect them not to follow us across the road anyway.

sorry but i honestly think that some parents of small children are suffering from some kind of PTSD that makes them completely irrational about stuff like this.

Oh, I seemed to have cross-posted with everyone else who had just got to lottie's comment...

Phew! Glad it's not me..

I'm kind of with Lottie on that one whattodo.. it's OK if the child doesn't see anyone else press the button but if they do (if memory serves me right) they are generally NOT impressed. Children tend to run to be the one to 'press'.

(Can you tell I've had 8+ years' experience of walking DCs to school...)

What is much more annoying IMO is adults pushing pedestrian crossing buttons, without a thought, when there is a small child approaching.

I'm 36, I like pushing the button too! You snooze, you lose little one

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue
That's one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read. You know you can still press the button even if someone else has pressed it, right?!

I imagine her daughter has cause and effect down pat, and can tell that the fellow pedestrian at the crossing has already triggered the red man.

There's no joy for a child in pointlessly mashing the pressed button once they understand how it works.

Ha Yanbu, good response

Lottie that’s crazy ; although children are funny when it comes to buttons they just have to learn to not be first

Ha ha ha. I know where you are coming from Lottie. Little kids love to push buttons and Whattodo Really? Children aren't stupid. The light goes on when you push the button, pushing it again has no effect and does not give the same cause and effect satisfaction.

Of course I don't expect anyone to wait, it is just tough. But sometimes I do wonder if people at lifts who have definitely seen the child approach (with pointing finger outstretched) have no experience of young kids.

OP Yanbu. Although if it takes a village to raise a child there is not much hope any more.

If I notice I am next to or across the road from someone with a small child in this situation and in no particular hurry, I do wait for the Green Man. But when my DCs were small I wouldn't have tutted at a stranger for walking on.

And yes they can tell but tough cheese really

Worse still when you absent mindedly press it yourself.. and feel the wrath

If they are parents and children waiting I always wait, it takes a village.....

ha - in America everyone waits for the green man / lights to stop the traffic and you get a very loud TUT if you dare to disobey regardless of if the road is completely empty

infact i think it might actually be illegal

If I see a child in a lift or at the lights, I let them press first. I can't guarantee that I always notice and think about small children in my vicinity when I'm in a rush, but if I notice, they go first.

I think kindness and consideration to others like that is what knits communities together, and helps children grow up into people who help others.

YANBU. If there's a child there and I can be arsed waiting then I do, but I don't think twice about crossing if I can't be arsed/am in a hurry etc.

While I don't disagree that it takes a village, I think it's fine for children to also learn that people behave differently. As a PP says, they could use you as a valuable example of 'what not to do'.

We got "arrested" in San Francisco once for jay walking. It turned out to be some kind of fund raiser/joke thing but it scared the living daylights out of me!