# How many people want to get run over this week? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882 "2004-01-31T06:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/1 "2004-01-31T06:01:24Z")
Ok so Monday, on an EIGHT lane road (Speed Limit 45, Traffic 55); four lanes (somewhat narrow) each way with a median and no shoulders, I move from the second lane to the curb lane. There’s a semi to my left and snow to my right. All of a sudden I see a white blob thrugh the dingy windshield. I realize “What’s this 'king bitch doing in the road???”. See there’s no sidewalks in this area, and instead of tromping in the snow, this moe-ron is walking against traffic on the side of the road (where there’s no shoulder). Happily There was enough room in my lane to spare (FYI, when you drive a teeny car and a semi-trailer is side-by-side with you lets just say my very unproud comment is hit the soft targets first or else :eek: ☹ :eek: . I’m too young to die). Wednesday my friend and I are driving along at dusk. Suddenly out of nowhere, a guy walkign in a yellow coat does the same thing. My friend sees him just before we pass him, and only because of the yellow coat. Today, in the morning again I see some fat whale of a bitch (in a white coat no less), on the same 8-lane road, walk out from a side-street and DELIBERATELY proceed to take up the curb lane. I mean her ass was wide, but not big enough to qualify as a buick. WTF PEOPLE??? Has society went this far downhill? There used to be some things you were just smart enough not to do. And look, ok, maybe you don’t value your life but this car ain’t paid off yet. Please respect my car :mad: :mad: And this doens’t even go into the rest of my commute week… ☹ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/2 "2004-01-31T06:06:06Z")
Wow. That sounds amazing. Question? Is there no sidewalk? Or are these fools simply too lazy to walk an extra fifty yards or something? ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/3 "2004-01-31T06:17:28Z")
I have to say, one of my greatest/stupidest Pedestrian Moments was crossing an off-ramp from the Ville-Marie Autoroute. _No,_ I did not walk right in front of oncoming traffic. :rolleyes: (There was also that great time I walked ten blocks through the middle of a completely motionless traffic jam on Sainte-Catherine Street right after the fireworks…) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/4 "2004-01-31T06:18:13Z")
That was me. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/5 "2004-01-31T06:19:18Z")
> [@Boo Boo Foo](#): > > Wow. That sounds amazing. Question? Is there no sidewalk? Or are these fools simply too lazy to walk an extra fifty yards or something? No, no sidewalks but the grass is heavily worn. My point is this road isn’t safe to ride a bike on, let alone walk in rush hour. Wading in snow is better than going squish IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/6 "2004-01-31T07:23:34Z")
It’s not the pedestrian’s fault that (1) there’s no sidewalk or shoulder, and (2) some drivers are not used to pedestrians and get freaked by them. What do you suggest the pedestrian should have done to get to where he/she needed to go? ---
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/7 "2004-01-31T19:29:57Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > It’s not the pedestrian’s fault that (1) there’s no sidewalk or shoulder, and (2) some drivers are not used to pedestrians and get freaked by them. What do you suggest the pedestrian should have done to get to where he/she needed to go? Well i agree it’s not there fault that there is no sidewalks or shoulder in that area (unless they be the mayor or someone) but that holds no water in a glass of logic. You saying she could just climb an on-ramp and take a stroll down the interstate because she’s devoid of accurate transportation? This is **NOT!** a small road. This is a VERY busy thoroughfare and you shoudl either wade the snow or avoid this road alltogether. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/8 "2004-01-31T19:59:26Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > It’s not the pedestrian’s fault that (1) there’s no sidewalk or shoulder, and (2) some drivers are not used to pedestrians and get freaked by them. What do you suggest the pedestrian should have done to get to where he/she needed to go? Good heavens. I’m all for respecting the rights and space of pedestrians, as I don’t own a car myself, but walking on an eight-lane highway is _just fucking dumb_. In answer to your question the pedestrian should have walked in the snow beyond the edge of the road. Trying to walk in 45mph traffic endangers both the pedestrian and the drivers and is inexcusable. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/9 "2004-01-31T21:20:30Z")
**What do you suggest the pedestrian should have done to get to where he/she needed to go?** I’m guessing the OP’s suggestion would be stay home, where a “fat whale of a bitch” belongs. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/10 "2004-01-31T22:09:25Z")
> [@SnoopyFan](#): > > I’m guessing the OP’s suggestion would be stay home, where a “fat whale of a bitch” belongs. You know, **blasphmer** said what he expected this woman to do. It was two posts above yours: “This is a VERY busy thoroughfare and you shoudl either wade the snow or avoid this road alltogether”. I realize that the “fat whale of a bitch” comment has gotten you steamed, but it irks me when you attribute opinions to **blasphmer** that haven’t been expressed (namely, that he supposedly expects this woman to stay home and thinks she belongs there). Please don’t flame him based on what you imagine he might say but hasn’t yet. Rather, flame him based on what he has said. I’m sure you can find ample material there. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/11 "2004-02-01T02:23:19Z")
> [@blasphmer](#): > > …that holds no water in a glass of logic. You saying she could just climb an on-ramp and take a stroll down the interstate because she’s devoid of accurate transportation? This is **NOT!** a small road. Pedestrians are not allowed on most interstates, so no. But this wasn’t an interstate, was it? I guess I’m still having trouble visualizing the situation. Normally is it legal and common for pedestrians to use the shoulder on this particular stretch of the road? If so, and if the snow is currently forcing them off the shoulder and onto the road, it seems it’s the drivers’ responsibility to accomodate this. It may not be a _smart_ thing to expect drivers to be able to handle the situation safely, but if this results in an accident it’s because of the driver’s incomptence. ---
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/12 "2004-02-01T05:36:02Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Pedestrians are not allowed on most interstates, so no. But this wasn’t an interstate, was it? > > I guess I’m still having trouble visualizing the situation. Normally is it legal and common for pedestrians to use the shoulder on this particular stretch of the road? If so, and if the snow is currently forcing them off the shoulder and onto the road, it seems it’s the drivers’ responsibility to accomodate this. It may not be a _smart_ thing to expect drivers to be able to handle the situation safely, but if this results in an accident it’s because of the driver’s incomptence. No, definitely not an interstate but a very busy thoroughfare. Normally people walk on the grass as this area (2 miles or so) has no sidewalk. There is NO shoulder, just a curb against the lane and the normal grass afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-want-to-get-run-over-this-week/226882/13 "2004-02-01T07:35:10Z")
> [@blasphmer](#): > > No, definitely not an interstate but a very busy thoroughfare. Normally people walk on the grass as this area (2 miles or so) has no sidewalk. There is NO shoulder, just a curb against the lane and the normal grass afterwards. So the area normally used by pedestrians is now made unavailable by snow. I really don’t see why the pedestrian shouldn’t use the road in this situation. They have every right to use the road to get where they are going, don’t they? And since it’s an **eight lane road** , surely you can spare one lane for pedestrians? I’m also disturbed by this statement in the OP: > [@](#): > > Suddenly out of nowhere, a guy walkign in a yellow coat does the same thing. It’s “sudden” only because you were driving fast (10 mph above the limit by your own admission). If you can’t react to and deal with this situation without getting upset, you shouldn’t be on the road in the first place.