On the way to work this morning, passing the GO station, I was approaching a GREEN light. Remember this: GREEN light. As i was heading up Newkirk, 5-6 people crossed the street to get across to the GO station. No big deal, as slowed a bit, and it appeared that they were just running because there was no traffic. As I approached closer to the intersection, one more person ran out in front of my car, and I had to slam the brakes to avoid hitting him!! I came to a standstill at a GREEN light... gave the guy the "WTF?" look, then realized I should honk, and honked.
Now, it may have been difficult for him to see me coming, because some other asswipe parked their SUV in the right lane of traffic to drop someone off, rather than pulling into the parking lot and dropping them off. And of course, they parked RIGHT at the intersection, blocking this guy's view of oncoming traffic.
Honestly, if you're in a big enough rush to jaywalk across the street, then you can do one of two things to avoid the need to rush across the street in the future:
1. Leave your house 10 minutes earlier, or
2. Get run over by a '91 Volkswagen Passat.
Either one should solve the problem. Next time, I'm not screeching to a halt. I'll try to avoid them, but I know if I hit them, I'm not going to jail. I believe there's a term for people who run into oncoming traffic: natural selection.
2 comments:
haha...
unfortunately the north american driving laws have a slight loophole... pedestrians have the right of way. granted, if one is jay-walking, then being hit by a car is definitely warranted in my opinion. but... sometimes, what does the law care?? *sigh*
Hmm... according to the Highway Traffic Act:
"No pedestrian or person in a wheelchair shall leave the curb or other place of safety at a pedestrian crossover and walk, run or move the wheelchair into the path of a vehicle or street car that is so close that it is impracticable for the driver of the vehicle or street car to yield the right of way. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 140 (4)."
So... they don't *really* have the right of way when it doesn't make sense! :D
Post a Comment