dwc@hou2b.UUCP (D.CHEN) (05/15/85)
> is it just my observation, or do people in New York are more impolite > and insult people my their remarks, driving and gestures than other > drivers? I'm a laid back Californian and I just don't get that mad > driving around. hey, i'm a laid back new yorker and i usually don't get mad. the point is that it was a very close call and it could well have been fatal. i've been driving in new york city for five years now and i've never been so close to a "high speed" (>10 mph) accident. i am quite taken aback that you would compare it to the fendbenders you talk about later. you obviously are so bent on making a statement about new york drivers that you missed the point of my posting: should i let someone get away with claiming that he is a cop? > just forget about it and be glad you didn't get into an accident. > No sense raising your own blood pressure over an insignificant > incident like that. Whenever I'm driving in New York or Philadelphia > people are always impolite, cutting in front of me, cutting me off, > cursing, shaking their fists and being fools. Luckily, keep my > fingers crossed, I have only been rear-ended once, at a stop sign > where I came to a slow gentle stop. I've also almost been rear- > ended when I stopped at a crosswalk for pedestrians, if you can > believe that. If you wanted to report all the illegal moves > people make on the streets of New York, you'd probably have to > report 3/4th of the whole city including the jaywalkers! Take > three deep breaths and say, "like no big deal..." there is a definite difference between being impolite and being dangerous and (if one is a cop) abusing one's authority. by the way, if you are constantly being honked at and yelled at on the road it might actually be your driving habits rather than the thousands of people around you. in other words, just because people are impolite, impatient, and acting like fools doesn't mean you are driving okay. maybe you shouldn't drive with your fingers crossed...its harder to steer(:-}). danny chen ihnp4!hou2b!dwc "in new york city, the directional lights are not a sign for turning, they are a sign of weakness"
chu@lasspvax.UUCP (Clare Chu) (05/16/85)
In article <520@hou2b.UUCP> dwc@hou2b.UUCP (D.CHEN) writes: >that you missed the point of my posting: should i let someone get away >with claiming that he is a cop? > >> just forget about it and be glad you didn't get into an accident. >> No sense raising your own blood pressure over an insignificant >> incident like that. Whenever I'm driving in New York or Philadelphia >> people are always impolite, cutting in front of me, cutting me off, >> cursing, shaking their fists and being fools. Luckily, keep my >> fingers crossed, I have only been rear-ended once, at a stop sign >> where I came to a slow gentle stop. I've also almost been rear- >> ended when I stopped at a crosswalk for pedestrians, if you can >> believe that. If you wanted to report all the illegal moves >> people make on the streets of New York, you'd probably have to >> report 3/4th of the whole city including the jaywalkers! Take >> three deep breaths and say, "like no big deal..." > >there is a definite difference between being impolite and being dangerous >and (if one is a cop) abusing one's authority. > >by the way, if you are constantly being honked at and yelled at on the road >it might actually be your driving habits rather than the thousands of people >around you. in other words, just because people are impolite, impatient, and >acting like fools doesn't mean you are driving okay. maybe you shouldn't >drive with your fingers crossed...its harder to steer(:-}). > >danny chen >ihnp4!hou2b!dwc > >"in new york city, the directional lights are not a sign for turning, they are >a sign of weakness" for your information I have been driving since 1977 on Los Angeles freeways, made three x-country trips and driven from the South Bronx to Manhattan. I have never been ticketed for a moving violation except for one speeding ticket in Missouri (and who doesn't get speeding tickets nowadays anyway). My driving is more than okay. The reason those people are impolite is because I am stopping for pedestrians at a crosswalk like I'm supposed to do, coming to a complete stop at stop signs, slowing down to let people cut into my lane when there is a merging situation. I use my turn signals because the California driver's handbook suggests it and I don't drive with my fingers crossed (it's just a proverbial expression). I can't help it if the people behind me think it's all right to run over a cross- walk with pedestrians in it because I'm the one who's going to be ticketed if I don't stop. As to whether you should report tothe police or not on your almost-accident I understand that you were upset and you can do what you want. It's just my opinion that the police can't be bothered for almost-accidents when they've got so many other things to do. Besides I've seen a police car(in NY) run across crosswalk while people are trying to cross. Clare
wjhe@hlexa.UUCP (Bill Hery) (05/22/85)
> >> I've also almost been rear- > >> ended when I stopped at a crosswalk for pedestrians, if you can > >> believe that. > > > >by the way, if you are constantly being honked at and yelled at on the road > >it might actually be your driving habits rather than the thousands of people > >around you. in other words, just because people are impolite, impatient, and > >acting like fools doesn't mean you are driving okay. maybe you shouldn't > >drive with your fingers crossed...its harder to steer(:-}). > > > My driving is more than okay. The reason > those people are impolite is because I am stopping for pedestrians > at a crosswalk like I'm supposed to do....... > ..................................................I can't help > it if the people behind me think it's all right to run over a cross- > walk with pedestrians in it because I'm the one who's going to be > ticketed if I don't stop. > ....................Besides I've seen a police car(in NY) > run across crosswalk while people are trying to cross. > I believe that in NY and NJ (unlike CA), unless there is a red light, or a stop sign, pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way when entering a crosswalk. Certainly, you should no run them down, but you don't have to come to a screeching halt as soon as they take one step off the sidewalk (as you do in CA). Unless you really have ot stop to avoid hitting them, you might be creating a traffic hazard by stopping short, since other drivers see no legal reason to stop, and are not expecting it. Don't feel bad about the confusion though, it's just as bad for us uninformed easterners the first time we go to CA.
joel@peora.UUCP (Joel Upchurch) (05/23/85)
A quick check of my Florida drivers handbook seems to indicate that here
pedestrians have the right-of-way at all marked crosswalks and
intersections that don't have traffic signals. Cars are also to yield to
pedestrians when turning in a intersection. Also hitting pedestrians on
the sidewalk is strictly verboten :-). There was also a general caveat
that no matter how stupid what the pedestrian does is, you shouldn't put
yourself in a position where you'll be unable to avoid hitting them.
"So let's be careful out there."