Tallahassee: Pedestrians

[slnash]

I, personally, am FED UP with pedestrians in Tallahassee. You would THINK having crosswalks, red hands, and white walk signs would . . . be something that people would pick up on really fast. But no - evidently these signals are too hard for people to understand.

The other morning, on Tennessee, I was driving along - stopped at a red light - sat there for about a minute and the light was fixing to change to green. All of a sudden there is a girl standing at the edge of my car - trying to cross Tennessee . . . all 5 or 6 lanes at this location. I was about 5 cars back from the light . . . this places her a good 35-45 feet from the crosswalk with the light turning green!

She made eye contact with me - the light turned green - then she had the audacity to walk right out in front of me. I sat there contimplating tooting my horn as the car in front of me began accelerating. She walked SLOWLY out in front of my car - painstakingly . . . like she was 89 instead of 19. Then she stood there. Traffic to my left had already began moving because they didn't have (pardon me) a stupid-head standing in the middle of Tennessee in front of their car. She waited IN FRONT OF MY CAR trying to cross the lane next to me for about 30 seconds - much to the dismay of those behind me who graciously began honking their horns like there was something I could do. She finally made it across to the median and I reved my little Civic forward in disbelief.

Do NOT attempt to cross MORNING traffic when you are NOT at the crossroads, you do NOT have a red-light to guide you, and when you are attempting to cross FIVE or SIX lanes of traffic. I really wish I was a cop. I would have slapped her over and over and over again with all sorts of violations.

- - - - -

In other news where I was the pedestrian (doing everything right, of course), a nice young college guy - in his luxury BMW - decided to ignore a red light.

Let me just say to you Mr. BMW who must have really rich parents, you came TWO feet from hitting me. The light was red, the white person in that little crosswalk box was telling me to walk, and I was on those white lines that run through the intersection. And, it was a good think I saw you flying up and stopped in front of a van who was stopped at the light like they were supposed to be. Otherwise I would be roadkill and my parent's would be scrapping the bottom of YOUR parent's bank.

It doesn't matter that you flew into the middle of the intersection, screeching your anti-lock brakes and then reversed to apologize to me with your hands in the air like somehow we were wrong together. You were going at least 40-50 on whatever road that's called . . . where the speed limit is 25-30 at any given place. Pay attention. And, by the way, my leg has a nice little bruise from where a random rock/chunk of ground came up and hit me as you went flying past. I'll take that over being roadkill anyday, but I still wish I'd gotten your license plate number.

- - - - - -

Anyone have complaints of their own? I have a few more horror stories I might post. People here . . . mostly college kids . . . simply don't think. Period. I thought you were supposed to have a little sense if you at least got into college. They need to make a class for "How to walk across the street and obey common traffic laws.".

[Florida]

That was soooo entertaining!!! I had fun reading that. Thanks for sharing.

I had a similar experience downtown, when I was a mere freshman in High School... I'd say Fall 1998. Walking downtown I was crossing the street at the direction of the "white person" inside the cross walk box. There I was, in my heavy brown leather Lugz, 50lbs of books on my back, sweating through my clothing in 96 degree weather, when this woman, in a beat-up, broke down, rusty, ugly, old, nasty maroon Chrystler Labarron, on her cell phone, literally hits me at low speed.

SHE HIT ME!!!!! I WAS ON THE HOOD OF HER CAR ROLLING TOWARD HER WINDSHIELD!!! She then noticed me, as I'm peeling myself form that nasty hot hood. I removed myself slowly... then she rolled down her window, her head still cocked to one side of her shoulder holding her back Motorola star tack phone only to say "I'm sorry baby!" and she sped off! I was toooooo shocked to remember her licence plate, this was the first time I'd even been struck by any type of moving object that large. I didn't suffer any injury, but I could have... and she pulled off.

That heffer!

[slnash]

Oh my gosh. If I ever saw that woman again I seriously think I would take off my shoe and beat her. Then I'd blame it on temporary insanity.

That's another thing - if you don't have the capacity to multitask - do NOT drive and talk on a cellphone - or eat a double cheeseburger with everything on it - or do both at the same time. Buy a headset, put yourself on speaker phone, and wait until you get home to chow down.

[Florida]

^I agree!

OK. Another story for you. Happened two weeks ago, the night before FSU whipped up on UM.

I was on my way to FSU to view the torch lighting with Renegade and Osceola and whatnot. I walked since I live very close to the stadium, and I had my camera with me because I was on my way to get a picture of the day.

As I approached Stadium Drive I hear this loud acceleration of a 4 cyl. car come closer to where I was. I knew the car had to be speeding just based on the noise level. There were two cars in the left turn lanes traveling east on stadium drive, they were going into Doak also. As these cars sat there helpless, this little white or maybe he was Asian drunken, fool come barreling around the corner, running through the yellow light and turned his car into the east bound traffic... he hit both of the cars waiting to turn.

He wasn't injured badly, but those sitting innocently in their cars were. He was arrested as soon as the cops arrived. TPD banged his head on that car so hard... I'd never been so happy to see them treat someone that way.

Fortunately, no one was trying to cross the street... or else they'd have been popped from here to Seattle.

[97preludesh]

I agree, college kids are retarded, not including me and a few others I feel really scared for this next generation... These college kids will be parents some day!! thats so scary way scary, they dont know how to act and they will show their kids the wrong thing also..... Help!

[Florida]

The way things are going with these college kids, there won't be many children to teach in the future so to speak... the right ingredients aren't paring up to make them... if you know what I mean. Something strange is happening to our younger people.

[cityboy05]

I am a pedestrean and I am mad at those some of those stupid drivers!!

Don't they know how to drive. I swear every morning while I am making my 20 minute commute to my school some idiot forgets where the stop sign is and the meaning of the stop sign which means to _____! But the worst part of my commute that I have to face is the crossing of Tharpe st. I know the system of the traffic lights and when i am suppose to cross but some people don't know the system of the lights. by this they turn when they aren't suppose to. That's not the major problem the problem is them not turning on their freaking singals. It would make life so much easier if these people use their signals so then no one has to get hurt.

signed,

angry pedestrian

[Florida]

^Like you Cityboy, I do alot of walking around and riding my bike. I'm always very afraid of the posibility that someone will ignore a STOP sign and come bashing into me. So I'm always very cautious about intersections and such. But I think TPD should get out and do a stop sign check to see exactly who the problem people are.

[asonj23]

Walking is great exercize. Just ask my "walking man" to the left! (The thing is he never gets anywhere..)

It is tough to walk in many Florida cities, thankfully, things are changing. At least in the DTs

[Florida]

Walking is great exercize. Just ask my "walking man" to the left! (The thing is he never gets anywhere..)

It is tough to walk in many Florida cities, thankfully, things are changing. At least in the DTs

This is very true. Infact... I don't know if anyone has noticed, but it is almost impossible to walk down Apalachee Parkway, a road which does't have dedicated bike lanes either. If I were in charge this would be a major priority of mine.

[slnash]

Oh oh - I have a DRIVING rant now. (Doesn't pertain to pedestrians, but I didn't feel like starting a new topic just to complain about idiot drivers.)

Wednesday I was in Parking Garage #3 (Stadium) . . . I was backing my car out of a spot. To my left was a HUGE SUV and to my right was a parked car. I parked right around the curve on the right side of the garage. I looked over my right shoulder - no one there. I looked over my left shoulder and couldn't see around that huge-butt SUV. I started backing SLOWLY! Like creeping style of a snail. I saw a yellow car coming towards me from the left. I stopped. I saw a car in FRONT of the yellow car backing out. The yellow car stopped and flipped on his blinker for that spot.

I turned and looked over my right shoulder. No one there. I started backing out again. I was turning my wheel when I heard a "beep". I peered over my right shoulder - saw a car - put on my brakes - hit her front bumper.

That not-paying-attention-to-anyone-but-themselves person had come around the curve to my right, stopped BEHIND my moving car, and flipped on her blinker for the reversing car down the way that the yellow car had stopped for.

The police came - I was found guilty because I was the moving vehicle and was issued a $120.50 citation for "improper backing" and have three point put on MY liscense because THAT PERSON doesn't know how to drive.

I have never been so livid in my entire life.

Do NOT stop YOUR car behind someone who is backing OUT. Do NOT ASSUME they see you. While it is MY responsibilty to make sure no one is behind me while backing . . . don't you DARE fly around a corner and stop your car on the edge of my back bumper. I won't see you.

And by the way, you had an expired tag. The deputy DID NOT write you a citation. This only adds to my fury.

- Ticked-off beyond belief "Unsafe" driver

PS- If you were in that garage and saw what happened - I want you. I want to take this to court and get my citation and points removed, but I need a witness - otherwise I have no case. I am going to try and find that yellow car driver today. Maybe they saw something.

[Florida]

Whoa... you are having some strange experiences with traffic and automobiles. I thought I had it bad. Its ridiculous how these freakin college students drive. Not only are most of them arrogant, but they are also very inconsiderate of anyone but themselves as you have noted. I've been in the parking garage waiting for a car when other cars have come flying from behind me to steal the space. THat really ticks me off. I totally feel your frustration there...

I could say "I just happened to be in the neighborhood" when your event occured.

[slnash]

You being in the neighborhood would be nice - I'm afraid I would be scared to death to lie, though.

Another stupid pedestrian involved a guy I saw yesterday on a bike, a green car, and a girl running.

The guy was crossing the intersection next to the Stadium Parking garage (student entrace side where that new light just went up). He was on his biking staring at a jogging girl in her short little shorts and sports bra across the road on the sidewalk. He was staring at her so intently that he almost ran into the side of a car stopped at the light, swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid it, and was almost hit by cars coming towards him as he swung back onto the sidewalk/bike path. I was quite a ways away driving up to the light when I saw all of this happening. It provided me with a nice laugh (after I saw that the biker didn't get run over).

So, guys - please do not let a half-naked jogging girl cause you to become roadkill.

Oh, the things I see . . .

[Florida]

Oh, the things I see . . .

I'd say!