# Pedestrians should be fair game if they're crossing outside the crosswalk! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2019, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397 "2019-11-14T03:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397/61 "2019-11-15T23:15:02Z")
My wife was told by her elementary school teacher that if you were hit by a car and when you were outside the cross walk the ambulance wouldn’t take you to the hospital. She believed it for years. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397/62 "2019-11-16T22:57:57Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I hear that in some parts of the country they have quaint notions about 'jaywalking". 😃 That’s Los Angeles you’re thinking of. I jaywalked Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood, crossed mid-block with zero traffic either way… except the cop who snuck up and busted me. I spent a day in jail for that. Much safer and accepted to jaywalk in San Francisco. But never try to block a bus. Imprudent. Motorists should be fair game when they leave a parking space. ---
**Author:** ![Annoying\_Buzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Annoying\_Buzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoying_Buzz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397/63 "2019-11-26T06:24:30Z")
Conversely, I think it should be legal to shoot drivers who violate the traffic laws. They’re in control of a deadly weapon, so it’s obviously self-defense. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397/64 "2019-11-26T15:15:15Z")
Today I start to cross a major street. I am in the crosswalk, and the school crossing guard waves me on. Suddenly a car turns and almost hits me. I stand there with my mouth open, and the crossing guard says “Did you see that?” Later a taxi drops someone off at the bus stop by using the bus space, and a guy gets on the bus and goes one more zone than he paid for, and the driver has a good five minute talk with him. How many people in the world think “Yeah, but the rules don’t apply to MMMMMMMMM-EEEEEEEEEE?” ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397/65 "2019-11-27T03:20:31Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I don’t know about other states, but in California, the lines painted on the pavement to indicate “crosswalk” are not some kind of magic protective area. _ **Every** _ intersection is a crosswalk, whether there are lines or not, (notwithstanding special, clearly marked prohibitions). And that just means that if a pedestrian has stepped off the curb with a clear intention to cross, cars must stop. But pedestrians must do this only in a safe manner. > > Furthermore, it is legal to cross at any point in the block if one (or both) of the two closest intersections doesn’t have a traffic signal–again, however, only if done in a safe manner. Basically it means that pedestrians can’t just jump out in front of moving cars and think the law requires them to stop. Yep. When staying at a friend’s in Anaheim and a different friend’s home in an LA suburb there just weren’t any crosswalks on the small residential roads. I mean, I’m sure they exist sometimes but on the residential blocks I’m thinking of, there weren’t any on any of the roads, so you’d have to cross a road without a crosswalk in order to get to a road with a crosswalk. So on the main roads I used the crosswalks (and hated it due to the “cars can turn right on a red” thing - they barely slowed up even while I was on the crosswalk right in front of them) but on small roads I just crossed. There’s no other way to do it - it’s physically impossible. ---
**Author:** ![albino\_manatee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/albino_manatee/32/2_2.png) [@albino\_manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albino_manatee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397/66 "2019-12-01T15:08:18Z")
let’s take you out of your vehicle and coerce you into standing on your feet. you weigh 150-250lb+ … the vehicle lumbering at you weighs 3-4000lb+ … do the math. furthermore … that person behind the wheel is looking at his texts, or viewing his gps, or talking on the phone, or applying make-up … doing anything **but** driving responsibly. pedestrians have right of way … this **is** as it should be. if there is a certain individual who’s gait/path irritates you … contact the police … that pedestrian may or mayn’t be given citation. another option you have is taking a different route. are you that person who drives over 20mph in school-zone … while the light is blinking? if a person jaywalks … and you hit that person … you will be held liable. now … let’s get you back on your feet … walking does a body good. or … take a city bus … and leave the driving to us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedestrians-should-be-fair-game-if-theyre-crossing-outside-the-crosswalk/843397.md?page=3)