Can somebody, anybody tell me why?
"Tell me whatcha gonna do... "
First off, as usual I apologixe for the infrequent updates. I actually have a good number of stories, but simply haven't been inclined to write.
So this takes place last Wednesday, I'm going to take my Astronomy midterm. Well being that I have an amazing parking pass that lets me park in garages for the summer, you know I'm driving to class, especially in the heat.
Well I leave the garage to walk across the street to my Astronomy class. There is an intersection, but the street I'm crossing doesn't have to stop. Luckily there's this brilliant invention called a Crosswalk!. In fact, there's even a big sign notifying drivers that there's a crosswalk there!
I start to cross giving a half hearted look, because being that its a crosswalk, the cars have to stop, and see a lovely OSU Traffic & Parking car headed my way. No worries... they are the traffic department, they won't run me over.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
So I'm crossing, and they swerve around me, making me take a step back. I throw up my arms in disgust. That's brilliant, how do you expect other people to give Pedestrians the right of way, when you yourselves don't do it. So I shake my head and mutter to myself while continuing to cross the street.
This SHOULD end there, but oh no, you do not use non-verbal communication to insult a Traffic & Parking Employee here... OH no you dont! Out of the side of my eye, I notice the T&P car has come to a stop a few feet down the road, and is now IN REVERSE, BACKING DOWN THE ROAD. By this time I have crossed both roads, so he proceeds to TURN BACKWARDS... AND BACK DOWN THE OTHER ROAD AS WELL.
Pretty astounded by this I look over and he's next to me with his window rolled down...
(Note that the intersection argument is invalid because if you look closely, the side of the intersection he was approaching from didn't have a crosswalk, thus he could be in the intersection, yet not already in the crosswalk. And even so, if you're approaching a crosswalk and see that someone is about to step onto it, you stop just in case. Like this guy)
And then I walk up the stairs to the building where my class is while he's yelling stuff at me from his car in the street. A lady who is just outside the doors on her cell phone stops me and says, "Wow, what an asshole."
EDIT: As an addendum. I just looked up Traffic & Parkings official stance on crosswalks. It's very conflicting. Basically it says it's both (the motorist and the pedestrian) your faults if something goes awry. Either way, I was more pissed at the fact he stopped driving to come confront me when I didn't say a word to him.
EDIT2: Ironically, T+P are currently in the process of having a Crosswalk Study.
"... at the crossroads so you won't be lonely..."
First off, as usual I apologixe for the infrequent updates. I actually have a good number of stories, but simply haven't been inclined to write.
So this takes place last Wednesday, I'm going to take my Astronomy midterm. Well being that I have an amazing parking pass that lets me park in garages for the summer, you know I'm driving to class, especially in the heat.
Well I leave the garage to walk across the street to my Astronomy class. There is an intersection, but the street I'm crossing doesn't have to stop. Luckily there's this brilliant invention called a Crosswalk!. In fact, there's even a big sign notifying drivers that there's a crosswalk there!
I start to cross giving a half hearted look, because being that its a crosswalk, the cars have to stop, and see a lovely OSU Traffic & Parking car headed my way. No worries... they are the traffic department, they won't run me over.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
So I'm crossing, and they swerve around me, making me take a step back. I throw up my arms in disgust. That's brilliant, how do you expect other people to give Pedestrians the right of way, when you yourselves don't do it. So I shake my head and mutter to myself while continuing to cross the street.
This SHOULD end there, but oh no, you do not use non-verbal communication to insult a Traffic & Parking Employee here... OH no you dont! Out of the side of my eye, I notice the T&P car has come to a stop a few feet down the road, and is now IN REVERSE, BACKING DOWN THE ROAD. By this time I have crossed both roads, so he proceeds to TURN BACKWARDS... AND BACK DOWN THE OTHER ROAD AS WELL.
Pretty astounded by this I look over and he's next to me with his window rolled down...
T&P: "There a problem?"
Me: "Oh, I don't think so, I could have sworn the law said that Pedestrians have the right of way...." *gets cut off*
T&P: "I was already in the intersection so I didn't have to stop."
Me: "... ESPECIALLY AT A CROSSWALK"
T&P: "Look, I was in the intersection, so you walked in front of me, I know the law..."
Me: "Well you should, here's a hint, if you almost run someone over while the person is in the middle of a crosswalk, chances are your not following the law."
(Note that the intersection argument is invalid because if you look closely, the side of the intersection he was approaching from didn't have a crosswalk, thus he could be in the intersection, yet not already in the crosswalk. And even so, if you're approaching a crosswalk and see that someone is about to step onto it, you stop just in case. Like this guy)
And then I walk up the stairs to the building where my class is while he's yelling stuff at me from his car in the street. A lady who is just outside the doors on her cell phone stops me and says, "Wow, what an asshole."
EDIT: As an addendum. I just looked up Traffic & Parkings official stance on crosswalks. It's very conflicting. Basically it says it's both (the motorist and the pedestrian) your faults if something goes awry. Either way, I was more pissed at the fact he stopped driving to come confront me when I didn't say a word to him.
EDIT2: Ironically, T+P are currently in the process of having a Crosswalk Study.
"... at the crossroads so you won't be lonely..."
posted by Farva @ 2:07 AM
1 comments
links to this post
): "Uh... Mom? What'd you just say?"
