pedestrian right of way

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pedestrian walk at 2mph, roughly. cars travel at 30mph, rough. why the hell do cars have to stop for people no matter what? does no one notice that people who live in pedestrian right of way areas also become much more brazen with challenging cars?


just a topic that came up today. i thought it was interesting...mainly because it's never really discussed or challenged but i think it's a huge flaw in the traffic system out here.

Also amusing is the fact that this is the codified law when in the absence of legal obligations, car>pedestrian and should therefore win. I've often thought you should be exempt from any punishment for hitting jaywalkers, even if it was intentional. Maybe you should even get a tax deduction for it.

Just got into LA today, or Hell-A if you prefer, and the one thing I notices was wrong with this place - the pedestrian right of way law. It seems anyone canWALK accross the street ANYWHERE, and the cars have to stop for them. Could you imagine that happening around here? "Ooops, sorry!" SPLAT! Stupid f****r, wlaking out in front of me like that..... Hell-A, can't wait for the day when the whole of the Californian coast falls into the ocean annd takes that place with it... Creating a beautiful and serene place called Arizona Bay... Yeah!! Arizona Bay.....

Jesus I love Bill Hicks.

Most people follow "before you cross, look both ways" in California.
In most other states there's no pedestrian right of way law and from what I've heard those drivers are much less merciful

not seems. it is. believe me...i've seen more than enough where people just walk out anywhere on the street out here.


it's absurd and the reverse should be law.

you're not in the los angeles area, i take it?

skafather: download 'Arizona Bay' by Bill Hicks. The complete sketch is there. f*****g hilarious.

already have it along with a whole bunch of other bill hicks videos and stuff.

The law is different in the UK. Only zebra crossings (not to be confused with the equivalent marking in other countries) have right of way for pedestrians. In the UK it is more a case of some narcissistic drivers that are too lazy to stop at the small number of zebra crossings there are. Or they travel to fast and don't look out for them. Or they don't keep junctions and crossing clear when in traffic. Also you get you get people parking too close on the zigzags, which is illegal too. But in other places like in Paris France it is even worse. They actually park on the crossings. There is no buffer to make sure that car and pedestrians can see each other. Scooters commonly ride on the pavement, that does happen here too. Naples is supposed to be really bad too.

Jaywalking is not the same as right of way. Right of way means cross when safe. I have to admit the pedestrian right of way lay in the US did surprise me, my driving instructor told me about it and I didn't believe him.

I have to say those some people in cars turn into the most narcissistic, inconsiderate debased creatures that would stop at nothing to have it their way. The give careful driver a bad name. Personally I hate driving, especially in London and stop shortly after passing my test. My mental health is better for it. It does cause a considerable amount of stress and sensory overload. Before I knew about ASD as a kid, I never understood the meltdowns my dad had while driving, and also that he would get so riled at other drivers he was at considerable risk of getting his arse kicked.

it causes a moderate ammount for me. enough to where i'm conservative about how much i drive around everywhere here in LA but not to the point where i hate driving or hate driving most other places.

London is very old. The romans introduced the grid system but we promptly abandoned it for the most part. Many road are narrow. To drive in London you have to muscle you way in, or you won't move anywhere. Fortunately Chelsey chariots/SUVs are on their way out. Don't get me wrong it has a lot of character on foot, but it not a great driving city, fortunately you don't have to.

yeah, unlike LA, london has an adequate public transportation system.

Although Greater London is quite large. LA is quite spread out and much larger. There are areas that transport is less good in London. The problem happens when you have a lot of suburbia. I live in semi subourbs, but in terms of US standards this is quaint Victorian town housing. The more spread out things are the more that you will have soulless islands. there are places like that in London. We do have the M5 round Greater London. that acts as a sort of constraint from engulfing other towns and villages, but it is spilling over.

The good thing about the transport system in London is it is well integrated. Like I can get the tube to my friend, and if that fails, I could get the bus or combine with train, or even better go to the Thames and get a boat up river (which is an excellent hydrofoil). I can get this kind of complex routing on one website. Grated it was better before but for some reason it has stared making less sensible suggestions. I don't know if if that is because there is some sort of conspiracy to send us the wrong way.

Chelsea Chariots... we call them Toorak Tractors here. In Australia pedestrians are meant to have right of way at zebra crossings, and at marked intersections (traffic lights). When the man is green, you walk, flashing red means finish the crossing, and red means don't walk at all. Low traffic malls are weird (Swanston St in Melbourne) because even though people can walk on it like a normal paved footpath, it is still considered a road for delivery vehicles and trams. Jaywalking is meant to be a crime, but in a lot of cases the police aren't around to prosecute.

'the pedestrian right of way. only in LA... would common courtesy need to be legislated- Bill Hicks'