Dear Driver,
First of all let me say how impressed I am that you could hold your cell phone with one hand, give me the finger with the other, and still manage to keep driving your SUV. Since you didn’t stop even though I was able to pound my fist on your window I wasn’t able to offer some helpful advice, but I’ll give it to you here.
First, if the WALK sign at an intersection is lit that means pedestrians have the right of way. Even if the light is green you, the driver, are still obligated to wait for pedestrians to cross before you make your left turn. Following this advice will allow you to avoid coming within less than an inch of running over someone’s foot or, for that matter, running over someone.
Second, in this state at least there’s no such thing as turning left at a red light without stopping. Heck, even if you’re turning right at a red light you’re supposed to stop first. This is pretty basic information that’s known even to most non-drivers. Based on the way your passenger was putting her hands over her face I’m pretty sure she knew and might have even tried to tell you that red lights apply to you just as much as everyone else.
As a side note I’d like to mention that in the event of an accident there’s a good chance you and your passengers could both be harmed. I know that seems shocking but you might want to think about your own safety even if you don’t care about anyone else’s.
Finally I think you should learn to drive. Obviously you were able to buy a car without a license but just because you could doesn’t mean it was a good idea.
And, hey, right back at ya.
You’re #1, Chris.
Thank you for this #1 comment.
Did you really pound on the guys windshield? That was brave. Too many people have guns nowadays. Of course, I give the finger quite frequently in traffic (only in situations that deserve it) and sometimes wonder if I’m pushing my luck because some redneck on meth might decide to use me or my car as target practice after being the recipient of my middle finger.
I know this isn’t practical, but if I was a pedestrian as much as you are, I’d be tempted to keep a raw egg in my pocket at all times– you know, to hurl at the windshield of drivers who don’t yield to me in the crosswalk. Doo poo would work too but who would want to pack that around in their pocket at all times? Yes, an egg is a better choice. There may be even BETTER choices but I’ll have to think about it a bit.
I didn’t really pound on it but I did put my hand up and accidentally brushed the side of his car as he went by. And it’s scary that he passed close enough to me that I was able to do that. I should be more careful, but I’m respectful of pedestrians and cyclists and their right of way when I’m driving so it really makes me angry when drivers won’t do the same for me.
The solution, I think, would be a paintball gun, but then I remember the time a friend shot me in the jaw with one of those. You’d think I would have had paint all over my face but instead the ball just bounced off me and stung like crazy. So it would probably just dent somebody’s car. No, I think the solution is I need to drive a bulldozer.
This is every day in downtown Toronto. The taxis are the worst–last week, I saw a taxi driver honking his horn like mad at another driver who was trying to turn right, but there were pedestrians crossing. I was like What? Should he just run then down so you can pick up your next fare? My all-time favourite though was the guy honking like crazy at an eighty-year old, tiny, Asian woman whose wheelie grocery cart was stuck in the streetcar tracks. Because that’s going to make her move faster. Sigh. This is why I take the train…
That’s crazy. Taxi drivers should know that if they’re carrying a passenger every delay is more time to rack up money and every pedestrian is a potential fare. And if they really want to accomplish something they should get out and help the woman with her wheelie grocery cart. That’d be better than going all Travis Bickle on everybody.