Zebra crossings

[TheZebraCrosser]

I was under the impression that when driving, stopping to let a pedestrian cross on a zebra crossing (white stripes on road, big flashing Belisha beacons) was in fact mandatory, not discretionary.

So why did some twat in a van holler 'could have put your hand up to say thank you you ignorant sod' as I (a pedestrian) sauntered across the other day.

I have noticed (as a motorist) that more and more pedestrians are now scuttling across zebra crossings almost apologetically while mouthing thank you s and waving.

This is all very well and sweet of them but it leaves me a bit bemused as they have a right to cross anyway.

I'm wondering now, if, when I get to the end of temporary traffic lights, would I be advised to 'thank' the person waiting at the other end for not jumping the red light? To thank someone for giving way at a roundabout if you gave right if way anyway?

And then there are people who step out into the road with no crossing at all without so much as batting an eyelid and scream abuse if you don't dodge them by a wide enough margin.

Help needed.

Yet your ignored my point before that the driver may have also had an invisible disability?

You say you can’t make eye contact (fair enough) but as I said before perhaps he struggled to ignore what he perceived as rude because of a disability. You don’t know any more than he did about you - you can’t have that one both ways.

Maybe they think, that one on crutches can't wave to thank me so I'm buggered if I'm stopping 😁

Xpost zebra 😁

There is a difference between wilful verbal abuse and disability Sirzy. You're stretching that one a bit far.

Sirzy you think that the driver had a medical condition that made him wind his window down and shout at op?

That's a bit of a stretch.

Haha menu - yes quite!

Especially given the attitudes on here.

Ds is only 9 but due to his autism he has been known to shout things that some would class as “verbal abuse” not will fully but out of his control. Like I said if you want people to consider that’s why you may do something most would perceive as rude then you need to keep the same in mind for others.

X post again menu!!

Yeah well your DS is not a grown man driving a white van.

Probably not menu, but the Op believes people should know she can’t say thank you without knowing her so she must realise that other people also have disabilities which may make them also behave in a less than ideal way.

She wants people to predict her problems but not those of others

But he may be one day as you know autistic children do become autistic adults....

DappledThings
Totally agree with you OP. I get really annoyed by the number of people who hang around for ages waiting for cars to come to a total halt before starting to cross
My DGM was killed by a driver who failed to stop and mowed her down when she was partway across a zebra crossing. Forgive me for 'hanging around' and making sure that traffic is going to come to a halt - I'm taking no chances..!

Sirzy, I'm sorry but that argument won't wash. There's no medical condition, including autism, that I know of, that causes you to wind down your van window and berate someone for not waving at you.

Even if someone has Tourette's then it would just be random swearing.

Sirzy no,

OP believes that drivers shouldn't shout at pedestrians who don't execute deferential scamper wave combo at pedestrian crossings.

I agree with her.

Sorry but on that one your wrong on both points. Inability to control things like that certainly does come with autism for a lot and Tourette’s is a hell of a lot more than just swearing!

At the end of the day you where both rude. Him more so. But it’s happened. You can’t change his behaviour but maybe worth considering what the majority have said on here about manners unless your happy for strangers to assume your being rude

I think this thread (and in fact life in general) just demonstrates that there are an awful lot of misguided, ill-informed, rude, sanctimonious and unintelligent drivers on the road.

And similar pedestrians.

Your argument that men in vans shouting at female pedestrians is likely due to hidden disabilities is certainly interesting though 😁

We should teach our daughters to be kinder to men who shout shit at them from vans

In case they have hidden disabilities.

Yesireebob

Van man is an ignorant turd with no knowledge of the rules of the road. What a huge surprise! Fortunately you can completely ignore anything he says and move on, because it's twaddle.

Re the shouting van driver. He was a twat.

Sirzy- it's "you're" in that context.

And it's were not "where".

Good God. Do people on here not know how to spell OR drive?

Sirzy- it's "you're" in that context.

Oooh look, a grammar pedant.

always a good sign when the best comeback someone has it to pull up your spelling and grammar!

Seamstress- sorry about your DGM- this must be a difficult topic for you.