Page 6 | Motorists shouldn't be in such a hurry!!

UndertheCedartree · 2023-08-03T12:35:13+00:00

Why are many car users always in such a hurry? I was crossing a road on a green man today and wasn't quite across when the lights turned to green. The car had to wait an extra 10 seconds! She started beeping me and then shouting and swearing at me. And this isn't the first time I've had similar experiences.

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 03/08/2023 18:13

Kernsworld · 03/08/2023 16:53

I did that once, trying to get my son to hospital. Ambulance wait was several hours and I was told to chuck him in the car and get him there. They had staff waiting for me. That’s the only time I did get beepy at pedestrians crossing slowly or walking out when they shouldn’t.

When I see a motorist being a dick, that’s always in the back of my mind that maybe someone is going on but the chances are teeny tiny that they actually are in that situation. They are most likely just dicks.

I think that's understandable in that rare occurrence.

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Peony654 · 03/08/2023 18:20

YANBU. You have every right to take as long as you want to cross the road. Drivers are there by a revocable license. The Highway Code now states that pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders have priority.

Peony654 · 03/08/2023 18:22

onefinemess · 03/08/2023 14:11

If you took ten seconds to cross the road, then you were either being deliberately obstructive or you can't move fast enough to use the crossing points safely.

Roads are for vehicles. Footpaths are for pedestrians. If you must cross the road, then you should be mindful of traffic. It doesn't matter what the highway code says. Common sense should tell you that you don't walk in front of vehicles.

Who are you to say how much of a hurry people should be in?

I would say that cyclists shouldn't be in such a hurry, always breaking red lights and on pavements at high speed.

Or that pedestrians shouldn't be so slow.

I really wish MN could identify this person and report them to the DVLA.

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 03/08/2023 18:27

Sigmama · 03/08/2023 18:11

https://www.politico.eu/article/pontevedra-city-pioneer-europe-car-free-future/
This is what we should be aiming for, cars are a menace

Very interesting

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phoenixrosehere · 03/08/2023 18:41

endofthelinefinally · 03/08/2023 18:08

We have a green man crossing at a busy crossroads nearby. The green man is on for 5 seconds. I have counted it and timed it with my phone several times. It is terrifying.

Yes. We have a light like this in our area and it didn’t used to be that way. They changed the timings during some roadworks. I’m able-bodied and a fast walker and even I have to sprint across with the green man disappearing the moment I step on the other side. Anyone that isn’t, is still in the middle of the road when he disappears.

I notice a lot of drivers are in their own little world and don’t even look for pedestrians. I had the green man and was beginning to walk across when I noticed the driver coming down on my left wasn’t stopping. I stepped back and they went straight through a red light. She was looking straight ahead and didn’t even look my way. By time they went through the green man had disappeared so I was forced to go back to the side I was on previously and press the button again to wait. I make sure that the driver and I make eye contact or they come to a stop before I walk off regardless with the green man because I know too many are not paying attention nor is this the first time nor the last that this has happened to me.

The time before, it was a man reaching back to get something from his backseat and if I hadn’t seen him out of the corner of my eye and walked out he would have hit my pram with my youngest who was a baby at the time. The car wasn’t even a foot from the pram.

DdraigGoch · 03/08/2023 19:07

ZiriForEver · 03/08/2023 16:15

That's a good question. Should the gap between the end of greenman and beginning of greenlight for cars be always longer, just in case someone slower needs to cross? Or should it remain as it is, good enough for majority of all situations, and the car drivers would just wait a moment in the rare case it wasn't long enough for someone?

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Surely that's what the flashing green man is for (sadly getting less and less common these days)

ZiriForEver · 03/08/2023 19:22

DdraigGoch · 03/08/2023 19:07

Surely that's what the flashing green man is for (sadly getting less and less common these days)

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It doesn't matter whether it is flashing green, or just the time between end of pedestrian green and beginning of car green. In both cases those already crossing pedestrians have right to finish crossing and car are still waiting with red lights.

The question is, whether this time should be generally longer, so slower walkers have plenty of time to finish before cars get green light (but very often it would mean much longer gap than needed), or whether it is in drivers' best interest to just patiently wait in the rare case the pedestrian is slower no matter cars' green lights, but keep the gap as it is now.

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 03/08/2023 19:31

phoenixrosehere · 03/08/2023 18:41

Yes. We have a light like this in our area and it didn’t used to be that way. They changed the timings during some roadworks. I’m able-bodied and a fast walker and even I have to sprint across with the green man disappearing the moment I step on the other side. Anyone that isn’t, is still in the middle of the road when he disappears.

I notice a lot of drivers are in their own little world and don’t even look for pedestrians. I had the green man and was beginning to walk across when I noticed the driver coming down on my left wasn’t stopping. I stepped back and they went straight through a red light. She was looking straight ahead and didn’t even look my way. By time they went through the green man had disappeared so I was forced to go back to the side I was on previously and press the button again to wait. I make sure that the driver and I make eye contact or they come to a stop before I walk off regardless with the green man because I know too many are not paying attention nor is this the first time nor the last that this has happened to me.

The time before, it was a man reaching back to get something from his backseat and if I hadn’t seen him out of the corner of my eye and walked out he would have hit my pram with my youngest who was a baby at the time. The car wasn’t even a foot from the pram.

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I found it quite scary when I had a pram and took a bit longer coming off a kerb how many drivers were completely unaware of the pram. You had to sort of try to have the pram behind you as you stepped out.

OP posts:

DdraigGoch · 03/08/2023 19:31

ZiriForEver · 03/08/2023 19:22

It doesn't matter whether it is flashing green, or just the time between end of pedestrian green and beginning of car green. In both cases those already crossing pedestrians have right to finish crossing and car are still waiting with red lights.

The question is, whether this time should be generally longer, so slower walkers have plenty of time to finish before cars get green light (but very often it would mean much longer gap than needed), or whether it is in drivers' best interest to just patiently wait in the rare case the pedestrian is slower no matter cars' green lights, but keep the gap as it is now.

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My point was that at traditional pelican crossings the flashing green man means that you get plenty of time to finish crossing and traffic can continue as soon as the road is clear, whereas in more modern crossings the lights remain red whether the road is clear or not.

As a rule I prefer zebra crossings anyway, no need to push a button and wait for an eternity to cross.

Elleherd · 03/08/2023 19:38

Sigmama Do you happen to know how goods and services requiring use of heavy equipment get into the city? Temperature sensitive medication, gases etc, and removal of rubbish etc. Do deliveries operate at night, or is something else going on?

(BTW I accept we simply may not agree full stop, but Dc's here reckon the variation on perspectives about buses and travel in London depend what zones you live in and have to travel through and to. Tbf the one able to cycle says the slower and more congested the trafic flow the better for them.😅)

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 03/08/2023 19:39

DdraigGoch · 03/08/2023 19:07

Surely that's what the flashing green man is for (sadly getting less and less common these days)

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The flashing green man is to indicate you shouldn't start crossing. No matter, if a pedestrian is crossing you have to wait for them. Red light, green light or amber. But some drivers get irate about that, so should the length of time the green man is on be longer to cater for those people who don't want to wait by making them have to wait longer whether a pedestrian is still crossing or not or should drivers be expected to be able to follow the highway code and not need this?

Some are far too short for anyone, some not long enough for those with disabilities.

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Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 03/08/2023 19:42

DdraigGoch · 03/08/2023 19:31

My point was that at traditional pelican crossings the flashing green man means that you get plenty of time to finish crossing and traffic can continue as soon as the road is clear, whereas in more modern crossings the lights remain red whether the road is clear or not.

As a rule I prefer zebra crossings anyway, no need to push a button and wait for an eternity to cross.

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Perhaps they changed because a few drivers don't seem to understand that you can only go if it is safe to do so as evidenced by this thread.

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Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 03/08/2023 19:45

Elleherd · 03/08/2023 19:38

Sigmama Do you happen to know how goods and services requiring use of heavy equipment get into the city? Temperature sensitive medication, gases etc, and removal of rubbish etc. Do deliveries operate at night, or is something else going on?

(BTW I accept we simply may not agree full stop, but Dc's here reckon the variation on perspectives about buses and travel in London depend what zones you live in and have to travel through and to. Tbf the one able to cycle says the slower and more congested the trafic flow the better for them.😅)

I think from reading the article deliveries and drop offs/pick ups are allowed. There are rules about how long they can be stationery and they have a slow speed limit.

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OneTC · 04/08/2023 11:05

If they start resetting the times for the green man then motorists will just complain that they are set too long. The reason they are currently set as short as they are is surely to appease drivers anyway?

The ones near us can detect people on the crossing and they really delay the green light for the traffic whilst people are still crossing. They also change faster if there's more pedestrians waiting to use them.

As a cyclist I prefer the count downs rather than the flashing green man.

Elleherd · 04/08/2023 11:29

UndertheCedartree Thanks for responding. The majority of my driving is either for work or health.
I can absolutely see the appeal of vehicle free while wondering how it actually works and what happens in the transition to those currently entirely dependent on them for work and survival.

polkadotdalmation · 10/08/2023 10:08

Hot weather like today (yay) seems to drive people bonkers

TenderDandelions · 10/08/2023 10:54

polkadotdalmation · 10/08/2023 10:08

Hot weather like today (yay) seems to drive people bonkers

Agreed.

I got hooted at for not pulling out on to a roundabout this morning. Bit difficult to pull out when there's cars coming round the roundabout that have right of way!

She tail gated me along the road as I observed the speed limit, then zoomed past me at the first opportunity (small section of dual carriageway), only to get stuck behind the car in front of me that was also doing the speed limit.

She was getting more and more angry with everyone. She clearly wasn't in that much of a hurry as she then pulled in to a petrol station (probably wondering why her car has such shocking fuel consumption!).

Calm the fuck down people!