# It's not wise to walk in front of a turning car **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053 "2005-02-02T21:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/141 "2005-02-06T21:38:51Z")
Um, people? While I agree with the sentiment most of you have been voicing (Pedestrian has Right of Way, Dammit!) I feel sorry for **Anaamika** , seeing how everyone and their dog seems to be enjoying piling up on her. I read her rant as saying, basicly, “You idiot! You’re lucky **I** was the one behind the wheel there and not some shit-for-brains who could have sent you to kingdom come. Yes, I **know** you have the right of way – but you **do** realize that St. Peter ain’t gonna be impressed when you walk up to the gate, dontcha?” I read it as a rant against pedestrians who take “having right of way” to mean “I can jump into the street at will, because it is the driver’s duty to avoid me.” Well guess what? You’re absolutely right, and you’ll still be just as dead when some idiot driver **isn’t** being careful enough! Here in Israel, an auto insurance company once came out with a half-commercial, half-public-service ad that went “On the road, don’t be _right_; be **_smart_!** ” This is so true, it has become, within the space of only a few years, a full fledged idiom in the Hebrew language, in all walks of life (minus the “on the road” intro.) Another expression that has entered the language here – “Right of Way is _given_, not _ **taken** _” – comes to mind as well. So - drivers: pay attention. Walkers: pay **double** attention. Look, I know you’re _right_, but it’s mostly **your** ass on the line; don’t let some idiot driver shoot it up for you just because you _know_ he ain’t supposed to do it. Or, as Ronald Reagan said, in a completely different context: “Trust, but verify!” MAke eye contact with the driver if possible. Make sure they’ve **seen** you. Then cross in front of the car - after you’re sure the driver **realizes** you have the right of way! Dani ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/142 "2005-02-07T05:41:24Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > I am amazed at your line of reasoning. It doesn’t make a lick of sense. Sure it does. It would give the pedestrian a better responsibility of their own well being. You’ve to admit, a lot of pedestrians don’t pay attention to traffic all the time. While it’s understood that the driver should give way to pedestrians, many drivers don’t really pay any attention to the traffic either. Why would it be bad to fine pedestrians for not watching their own ass, and possible getting injured in the process? If I knew that I would get slapped with a $500 fine for jaywalking, I’d be sure not to do it again! I don’t understand all the sympathy for the pedestrian ALL the time, when they can be just as clueless as the driver. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/143 "2005-02-07T13:15:09Z")
> [@stretch](#): > > My pedestrian motto: Feet–the original mode of transportation. Those of you on wheels can back the fuck off. My driver motto: Go ahead walker–I have AC, heat, and a rocking stereo; I can wait the 30 seconds for you to cross. I’ve got the same motto as a driver. As a pedestrian I stick to “You outweigh me by more than a ton. After you.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/144 "2005-02-07T19:03:14Z")
> [@Noone Special](#): > > Um, people? > > While I agree with the sentiment most of you have been voicing (Pedestrian has Right of Way, Dammit!) I feel sorry for **Anaamika** , seeing how everyone and their dog seems to be enjoying piling up on her. I read her rant as saying, basicly, “You idiot! You’re lucky **I** was the one behind the wheel there and not some shit-for-brains who could have sent you to kingdom come. Yes, I **know** you have the right of way – but you **do** realize that St. Peter ain’t gonna be impressed when you walk up to the gate, dontcha?” > > I read it as a rant against pedestrians who take “having right of way” to mean “I can jump into the street at will, because it is the driver’s duty to avoid me.” Well guess what? You’re absolutely right, and you’ll still be just as dead when some idiot driver **isn’t** being careful enough! Look, this is getting downright annoying now. Several of you have said this, but I don’t see it AT ALL from the OP. This is what’s in the OP: > [@](#): > > You know, when I’m trying to turn right onto a busy road? And I’m studiously looking left, to see if the way has cleared, and I’m glancing right but predominantly I’m looking left? > > Well, it’s really stupid to walk in front of my car at this point. Please read that again - very, very carefully. She is saying, plain as day, that it’s **STUPID** to walk in front of a car that’s “trying to turn right”, because she’s “glancing right but predominantly looking left”. WHERE DOES IT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT JUMPING INTO THE STREET AT WILL? WHERE DOES IT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE PEDESTRIAN INSISTING ON THE RIGHT OF WAY? It doesn’t. It says the pedestrian was “stupid” to walk in front of her car. That’s wrong. What’s stupid is to make a right turn without looking in the direction your car is going. Hence the “pile-on”, as so many of you seem fond of calling it. > [@](#): > > Here in Israel, an auto insurance company once came out with a half-commercial, half-public-service ad that went “On the road, don’t be _right_; be **_smart_!** ” This is so true, it has become, within the space of only a few years, a full fledged idiom in the Hebrew language, in all walks of life (minus the “on the road” intro.) Another expression that has entered the language here – “Right of Way is _given_, not _ **taken** _” – comes to mind as well. > > So - drivers: pay attention. Walkers: pay **double** attention. Look, I know you’re _right_, but it’s mostly **your** ass on the line; don’t let some idiot driver shoot it up for you just because you _know_ he ain’t supposed to do it. Let me explain something again here. It is possible to _agree_ with the above, yet _disagree_ with the OP. If you want to start a discussion about obnoxious pedestrians, lets start one - I’ve got a few stories about that. But don’t pretend that’s what the OP was talking about. It is NOT overly-aggressive to walk across the street in front of a car that is stopped at the intersection. No, we should NOT be required to slink around behind the car, and NO, it is not arrogant to think so. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/145 "2005-02-07T19:43:56Z")
**Blowero** , if the pedestrian was looking he would’ve noticed Ana not looking at him. Either he wasn’t looking or he thought he could make it before she turned. In either case, the pedestrian made a really stupid decision. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/146 "2005-02-07T19:53:30Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > **Blowero** , if the pedestrian was looking he would’ve noticed Ana not looking at him. Either he wasn’t looking or he thought he could make it before she turned. > > In either case, the pedestrian made a really stupid decision. How does this relate at all to the point I just made? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/147 "2005-02-07T19:57:21Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > It says the pedestrian was “stupid” to walk in front of her car. That’s wrong. What’s stupid is to make a right turn without looking in the direction your car is going. Hence the “pile-on”, as so many of you seem fond of calling it. Problem is, none of us really know what happened; all we have is a bunch of electrons. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/148 "2005-02-07T20:17:45Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Problem is, none of us really know what happened; all we have is a bunch of electrons. Can I ask how old you are, Lute? I just want to know how to react to your non-sensical posts. Maybe I shouldn’t be assuming you’re an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/149 "2005-02-07T20:25:22Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Can I ask how old you are, Lute? I just want to know how to react to your non-sensical posts. Maybe I shouldn’t be assuming you’re an adult. This from the man who raised selective reading to an art from. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/150 "2005-02-07T20:30:41Z")
So should I assume that you’re a kid, since you didn’t answer my question? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/151 "2005-02-07T20:38:47Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > So should I assume that you’re a kid, since you didn’t answer my question? I’m not about to answer anything until you prove that you are capable of rational thought. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/152 "2005-02-07T21:00:38Z")
**blowero** – I went back and re-read the OP. Keeping in mind **Anaamika** ’s general style in other places, I still think she has been misunderstood. Plus I just tend to give people the benefit of doubt. I’m a sucker that way. You disagree with me as to what she meant. Fine, we can agree to disagree there. And you may be right – she may have behaved poorly and may not be in a position to rant about it. But I see this as the minor point in the larger discussion that has developed. I think we both agree on this wider issue – namely, that while as a pedestrian you **always** have Right of Way at crosswalks, the fact that you are far more vulnerable than the driver suggests that it may be smarter to wait a few more seconds if you aren’t **certain** the driver is actually **giving** you the RoW that you are entitled to. Being _right_ has nothing to do with this advice. _Staying alive_ does. Because the world is full of idiots, and most of them own cars. Dani ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/153 "2005-02-07T21:26:53Z")
> [@Noone Special](#): > > **blowero** – I went back and re-read the OP. Keeping in mind **Anaamika** ’s general style in other places, I still think she has been misunderstood. I don’t think so. If you still think the “pile-one” was unjust, how about just looking at the thread title. It says, “It’s not wise to walk in front of a turning car.” It DOESN’T say, “You should look both ways before crossing the street”, nor does it say, “You shouldn’t insist on the right-of-way”, nor does it say, “Don’t jump out into traffic without looking.” No, the clear implication is that, merely by virtue of the fact that she intends to turn right, that she believes she ought to be afforded some sort of special dispensation by pedestrians, and even goes so far as to suggest that they ought to have to walk _behind_ her car. > [@](#): > > Plus I just tend to give people the benefit of doubt. I’m a sucker that way. You disagree with me as to what she meant. Fine, we can agree to disagree there. And you may be right – she may have behaved poorly and may not be in a position to rant about it. But I see this as the minor point in the larger discussion that has developed. Fair enough. Have a larger discussion if you want; just quit saying that I misunderstood the OP, because I didn’t. Have your larger discussion, but leave me out of it. > [@](#): > > I think we both agree on this wider issue – namely, that while as a pedestrian you **always** have Right of Way at crosswalks, the fact that you are far more vulnerable than the driver suggests that it may be smarter to wait a few more seconds if you aren’t **certain** the driver is actually **giving** you the RoW that you are entitled to. Being _right_ has nothing to do with this advice. _Staying alive_ does. Because the world is full of idiots, and most of them own cars. I just think you’re arguing against a strawman. Did anyone _advocate_ foolhardiness? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/154 "2005-02-07T21:34:32Z")
> [@Noone Special](#): > > **blowero** – I went back and re-read the OP. Keeping in mind **Anaamika** ’s general style in other places, I still think she has been misunderstood. Plus I just tend to give people the benefit of doubt. I’m a sucker that way. You disagree with me as to what she meant. Fine, we can agree to disagree there. And you may be right – she may have behaved poorly and may not be in a position to rant about it. But I see this as the minor point in the larger discussion that has developed. I’m with you (as if it wasn’t obvious :)). > [@](#): > > \*I think we both agree on this wider issue – namely, that while as a pedestrian you **always** have Right of Way at crosswalks, the fact that you are far more vulnerable than the driver suggests that it may be smarter to wait a few more seconds if you aren’t **certain** the driver is actually **giving** you the RoW that you are entitled to. Being _right_ has nothing to do with this advice. _Staying alive_ does. Because the world is full of idiots, and most of them own cars. I’m with you here too, with one caveat. The pedestrian has to be in the crosswalk, with the signal, to have the right-of-way. Otherwise, I’m with the Government of the District of Columbia: the driver and the pedestrian share responsibility if said pedestrian is struck. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/155 "2005-02-07T21:38:47Z")
Great, we’ll all consider that strawman knocked down, then. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/156 "2005-02-07T21:41:21Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Great, we’ll all consider that strawman knocked down, then. Well, he shouldn’t have walked in front of me. d&r ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/157 "2005-02-08T06:16:02Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > \ > > I was hit in a crosswalk by someone turning right, and I was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. I always make eye contact with the driver, and I really thought I did with him. He was wearing sunglasses, and apparently the eye-contact thing didn’t work out for me. Was I still in the wrong, then? > > You’re the :wally Sorry, but at least in this state, if there is a pedestrian _anywhere_ in the crosswalk, you’ll be ticketed if you enter it in your car. _even if you have the light!_ feet have the right of way all the time. Stop trying to turn, while there are people trying to walk. Go to Colombia, where BIG has the right of way. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053/158 "2005-02-08T06:19:05Z")
Sorry, **trublmakr**. I didn’t mean to quote you as though you were running over me. I just hit the wrong button, and didn’t notice. Time for bed. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-wise-to-walk-in-front-of-a-turning-car/288053.md?page=7)