Columnists
Getting cross in the walk
Raise your middle finger if you feel as if you’re more likely to get picked off in a crosswalk/crossover in the County than you are of contracting COVID-19? (I’m not saying COVID-19 isn’t dangerous. So, let’s not go there.) Yep, that there is a lot of middle fingers. What the H E double hockey sticks is going on in our crosswalks these days!? Crosswalks are supposed to be a safe place for pedestrians. They sure aren’t in the County. I have heard countless tales from pedestrian friends, and family, who have been terrorized and traumatized while trying to cross a street in the County using a crosswalk, especially since the beginning of the Pandemic.
And I know what you’re thinking. It would be really easy for me to shout, “Get the OPP to monitor all of the crosswalks and put some fear into the hearts of the idiots who see pedestrians and crosswalks as a challenge to their fragile VroomVroom egos.” But, let’s face it, County Cops have a lot of territory to cover without having to babysit the crosswalks of the County. Surely we can sort this mess out without loss of life or limbs. First of all, let’s remember, pedestrians, a crosswalk isn’t some kind of magic shield. Your mortal countenance is no match for a 1,000 kilogram vehicle, likely travelling too fast in the first place. Every crossover/crosswalk in the County has a pushbutton to activate the overhead flashing lights. Use it. Once the lights are flashing, wait for the traffic in both directions to stop. See, this is the point where some of us make a mistake. Some of us push the flashing light button and are still thinking “magic”. Those lights aren’t magic, and they don’t magically make drivers stop their vehicles. The lights are a warning to motorists. So, when traffic has stopped in both directions, give a look around and set your sights on the other side of the street. No shillyshallying, just move your butt to the other side. It should be that simple, right? It isn’t. Getting the traffic to stop is about one third of the problem. By the time a motorist has made it to a crosswalk they’ve probably already breezed through a halfdozen STOP signs without so much as a hint of braking.
It seems to me, and to many of you, the biggest problem arises while a body is in the crosswalk. Some drivers think it’s okay to cruise through the crosswalk while a pedestrian is still crossing. No. No. Nope. Not okay. Not safe. And, not legal. It probably takes the average person about eight to ten seconds to cross the road. A bit longer if they’ve got a bundle buggy, a stroller, a puppy, are using a walker/cane or have a youngster with them. Ten seconds. Tops! How much faster does driver/cyclist need to get to the booze-a-teria, or the dentist’s office, that a few seconds stopped at a crosswalk is going to delay? If you’re a driver, and you’re running late, don’t make your inability to deal with time constraints a nightmare for a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
In Ontario, the law clearly indicates drivers and cyclists must stop and yield the whole pedestrian crossover until the person is completely off the roadway. This rule also applies at school crossings where there is a crossing guard holding a stop sign.
I realize I hadn’t mentioned cyclists in my introduction to this type of traffic terrorism. Bicycles/ tricycles, motorized or pedal-powered, are vehicles and must abide by the rules of the road. Cycling on the sidewalk may be one way of getting around this rule of the road but, seriously, we’ve had the sidewalk cycling discussion before, and you know those bylaws as well as I do. And another thing, pedestrians also have rights when it comes to crossing roads with stop signs at corners. Once the pedestrian has determined the road is clear and they set out a driver needs to pay attention to the pedestrian and to the STOP sign. Generally the pedestrian has the right-of-way. Generally. Sometimes the pedestrian has to wait their turn, too. I’m not pointing any fingers, maybe just the middle one, but it seems to me young people are biggest offenders when it comes to not knowing when they have the right-of-way. Yep, I’m pointing my middle finger at highschool-aged people, especially at the four-way stop at Elizabeth and King in Picton.
It would seem we all have to give our heads a shake, sit up straight and pay attention. We especially need to take a deep breath, cool our jets and stop being the reason so many people are raising their middle finger in the crosswalks and crossovers. I’m thinking I might buy an airhorn and have it at the ready when I cross the road at a pedestrian crosswalk. Yessiree! A little tootle on the airhorn, in the general direction of drivers who terrorize pedestrians, could be the answer to the problem—especially in windows-down season!
Be safe. Look both ways. Middle finger at the ready!
Comments (0)