Crossing the road when there’s not a green man

[JabbyMcJabFace16]

I’ve just had possibly the strangest interaction of my life and just need some opinions on it.

I was at a pretty busy junction that I cross everyday, twice a day. I know that between the first two sets of lights, there is a thirty second pause which is long enough for me to cross the road in. I went to step out during this pause when a woman stood next to me put her arm across me and said, quite pointedly “I don’t think so! We only cross when we see a green man, don’t we [child’s name]. She then held her arm across me until the green man came up.

I do understand that it’s important for parents to teach their children road safety, but I also know this junction so well and it’s absolutely freezing tonight. I was stood there for a good 3 minutes longer than I needed to be because this woman wouldn’t let me go.

AIBU to think this is just going too far?

"Well done" ? For being a busybody and sexist to boot?

There's no way she would have blocked a man from crossing the road.

I can't bear women who feel entitled to police other women's behaviours.

What gives them the authority to do so other than a giant ego?

That woman is a complete CF.

One of the lessons we teach children is that CHILDREN must learn to cross the road safely, until they are adults and use their experience to (usually) cross the road safely without the need of lights. Lots of adults still prefer to use the lights as they don't trust their senses, which is also absolutely fine.

We're in Germany and people get very annoyed if you cross while the light is red, especially if there are children around. Teaching children road safety awareness is considered to be a communal responsibility.

That said, I've never known anyone actually physically stopping anyone. People usually just tut and comment.

the thing is I don’t think it’s rigid to inherently teach that the green man = safe

I know - it drove me crazy when I lived there.

We teach children to only cross the road when there is a green man because they lack the judgement skills needed to safely cross a road otherwise.

Equally, we don't force adults to do so because most of us have acquired the necessary skills by the time we hit 18.

There are pros and cons to everyone following rules without any critical thinking.

I've just checked and it's actually against the law here to cross when the light is red. You can get fined.

Parent your own child and let others cross the road as they see fit!

OP, I’d have pushed past her bloody arm out of the way as I continued walking!

I think that only applies to men - if there is a green lady then I may consider obeying but unlikely.

They look different here depending on where you are. There are lots of versions. The town I live in has a special version as well. It would be rude to have a gender preference with regards to lights, to be honest. Just spend the time admiring them...Some are really cute.

Oh yes, seen gay/lesbian, the occasional woman and children holding hands but the vast majority seem to be signaling for men to wait, as they are clearly incapable of decision making.

Yes I agree with that, it's not appropriate to be pulled up on it like that

Exactly, keeping your wits about you is always best.

The little green man giving you right of way is cold comfort if the oncoming driver runs a red light because he's high as a kite, intoxicated, on the phone, lighting a cigarette, changing the radio station, arguing with his other half, running late for something, etc.

Oh wow 🤣 haven't RTFT but that's given me a good laugh actually! She's got major main character energy hasn't she!!

I do normally behave myself in front of children but I'd have been reeeeally tempted to shout "MOVE YOUR FUCKING ARM" so that she now had two things to explain to her little angel. 🤣🤭

Apart from the fact a crying lady at the wheel of a car once hit my foot and knocked my shoe along the road when I stepped out at a green man, because actual road safety wasn't taught, just adherence to lights - I will never understand why it's so difficult for people to just explain to their children that some people don't follow the rules you're teaching them. They will mostly get it. They're not going to spend the entire time they're learning how to navigate roads blind to the fact that people don't always wait for lights or even cross at crossings.

The woman was unreasonable, no ifs or buts.

YANBU, she was completely out of order! She could easily have used you crossing as an example of what not to do if she wanted to.

No don’t agree that she physically stopped you but I understand her sentiment. When I’m at a crossing, if there are young kids either side of road i wait for green man. I think it is all our responsibilities to set good example for younger gen when we can. Even if we have no idea who they are. We all should care more.

Are you sure there wasnt a camera somewhere this is a prank that is done on social media

Fuck's sake! Are you for real @PInkyStarfish?

@JabbyMcJabFace16 is a grown ass woman, not a child! I can't believe she blocked your way.

While I would always wait for green man when with my children, I am an adult able to make my own decisions about road safety.

Yes - I care that children shouldn’t blindly follow what adults do and also think before crossing the road, whether the light is green or red. I hope parents teach them that rather than expecting all adults, without exception, to wait for the green man and all drivers/cyclists/electric scooterists/lime bikers, without exception, to stop at the red light.

Id have told her to get her hand off me or she'll be eating her own teeth and just walked on.

Can't believe you stayed there!!

I think the woman was setting a terrible example to her child. She’s free to teach her own children whatever she likes but she has no right to police others.

It is no-one’s job to put a grown woman “in her place”. What a pathetic comment!

This is quite off topic but when i was younger and travelling through Austria i was firmly told off by someone for crossing a road (with absolutely no traffic) when their equivalent of the green man wasn’t showing.

Same trip - it was 35 degrees and I’d completed a huge walk (and have a bad back). In a park full of other people sitting on the grass - it wasn’t a keep off the grass situation - I sort of put my legs out and leaned back on my backpack. So not fully lying down, but sort of.
Someone came over to tell me off. The direct translation was that I was “making the park look untidy.”

And both of these comments were from just ordinary people. Not the jaywalking police or the park police.

Blimey.

The far more sensible approach is to teach children to check, double check and check again that there is nothing coming. EVEN IF IT IS GREEN!

A few years ago two teenage runners were killed by a drunk driver near me - crossing a road on the green man.

I'll decide for myself if it's safe and if some crazy woman had tried to (wo)manhandle me I'd have asked her what the hell she thought she was doing!

It makes no sense to hang around at a red man if there's no traffic on the road.