A question about traffic flow and pedestrians.

[Rain Man]

Hypothetical:

Person A is a pedestrian walking to a small intersection that has a 4-way stop sign. Assume that Person A is on the southwest corner of the intersection and wishes to cross the street to the southeast corner. Person A is wearing Nike crosstraining shoes, tastefully faded jeans, and a t-shirt with a picture of former major league baseball player Ted Williams, with the logo "Ahead in the count, a head in the fridge."

Person B is in a vehicle approaching the same intersection. Person B is arriving from the north and wishes to go straight through the intersection to the south. Person B is driving a 2009 Ford Edge (SE model, Red Candy Metallic Tint Clearcoat exterior, Medium Light Stone interior, with optional grill inserts and chrome door handles).

Person B reaches the intersection and stops, making a full stop where the vehicle settles back. At this point, Person A is six feet from reaching the corner and walking steadily toward it.

If both people proceed, Person B will kill Person A and will damage the optional grill inserts on the Ford Edge, so neither person wants this to happen. Both are also law-abiding citizens who sincerely like to treat other people well unless those people are ugly, in which case they get what they deserve. Neither person views the other person as ugly, though at the same time neither person has a desire to see the other person dancing naked in front of a romantic fire.

In this situation, who has the right of way? Who should wait for the other to proceed through the intersection?

As a disclaimer, I am neither person in this situation. I'm just not sure who really should wait for the other person, and whether I'm doing the right thing in this situation. I have a policy and practice in place, but I want to see if others agree or disagree.

[SDChiefs]

Pedestrian always has the right of way. The kill them all option could work too.

[Buck]

It depends. If the pedestrian stops then the driver. If the pedestrian doesn't stop, then he always has the right of way.

[Rain Man]

It depends. If the pedestrian stops then the driver. If the pedestrian doesn't stop, then he always has the right of way.


Agreed on this, but the real question is whether the pedestrian should stop.

[Buck]

Agreed on this, but the real question is whether the pedestrian should stop.

6 feet equals about 2.5 steps, and the car is already at rest. I think the Car should get to go first, but I voted it depends on other circumstances.

[RJ]

The pedestrian, because...

a) Pedestrian has the right of way.

b) He is the most likely to die or be maimed.

c) Cool t-shirt.

[Rain Man]

Here's my deal. As a pedestrian, I think I should stop in this situation. It's a four-way stop, so I should stop just like a car or bicycle should stop. So in this situation I'll stop and wait for the car to go.

But I see other people who keep walking, and I recognize that they have the right of way when they do so. I just don't think it's polite, because it's kind of like running a stop sign, and when a bicycle does it you want to slam them with your optional grill inserts. So a pedestrian should do the same thing as other travelers.

But I don't think a lot of car people expect that kind of politeness, so you often end up waving them through and doing the false start kind of deal. But if we all treated it as a four-way stop, then the vehicle could go, as is their right in my opinion, and everyone would know what to expect.

Am I wrong in this? I kind of feel like I'm wrong culturally and historically, but I'm right from a civilization and rules standpoint.

[RJ]

If the pedestrian were to stop for me I would just wave him across. If he didn't stop for me, that would be ok too as I would anticipate that.

[Rain Man]

Yeah, I'm thinking like if I was the pedestrian I should just keep walking because that's the expected action. But it just seems kind of rude to me. Is it polite for me to stop and then have the driver wave me across, or is that just more of a hassle for the driver?

[SDChiefs]

I say the driver doesn't stop and in a rush, kill everyone in his way. I mean, if he keeps stopping, whos to say that Starbucks will still be open when he gets there?

[RJ]

But what I'm really more interested in is that t-shirt. If you see that pedestrian again, ask him where he got it.

[Rain Man]

But what I'm really more interested in is that t-shirt. If you see that pedestrian again, ask him where he got it.

Y'know, I just made it up for the poll, but now I kind of want one too. Do you think we could make some and sell them, or would somebody sue us?

[Hydrae]

As a pedestrian I always practice defensive walking techniques. I do not step into an intersection in this kind of scenario without having made eye contact with the driver. Somehow I would rather wait for the car even though I have the right of way, I don't really want to be dead right.

[Demonpenz]

one of the reasosn tinted windows are illegal

[RJ]

Y'know, I just made it up for the poll, but now I kind of want one too. Do you think we could make some and sell them, or would somebody sue us?


I think if Teddy Ballgame's kid is crazy enough to stick his dad's head in a freezer, he's crazy enough to sue over a t-shirt. But major props for the idea, I certainly got a chuckle.

[Dave Lane]

Driver reached the intersection first and has the right of way. Pedestrian is required to reach the intersection then check traffic before preceding

[tooge]

I suggest you double up on your Xanax and take the bus from now on

[Luke]

I always thought that pedistrians have the right of way.

My driverse- ed teacher would say it is not so much who has the right of way as it is who YIELDS the right of way.

Of course this is all a moot point if the pedistrian weighs more than 300 lbs, in which case he has the right of weigh and perhaps a job as starting nose tackle if Coach Haley is the driver of the car.;)

[Johnny Vegas]

run em over then ask questions

[TrebMaxx]

I voted for the pedestrian to go first, they have the right of way. One question I have is was the pedestrian using a marked crosswalk? I was brought up to look both ways before crossing streets and that has worked well for me, I still look both ways to this day, I have never been hit by a car. When the fad of social feel goodness policy erupted and one policy that was implemented was the "pedestrians always have the right of way", or for example on the MU campus being a "pedestrian campus", is a short sighted policy. I can see this policy for crosswalks but unfortunately most people just cross streets (anyway they do here in CoMo) willynilly without looking because they have policy backing them up. Which makes more sense? A human pedestrian which can stop on a dime or a vehicle which could weigh from a ton to 3 tons being expected to stop for said pedestrian that just waltzes out into the street. I think pedestrians should be the ones to give right away. I would think more times than not that a driver would wave them on anyway.

[kindra68]

is it raining? cause if it was raining i would let the person go first, you know cause i'm sitting in my car all nice and dry and he's out there all wet and droopy. besides i like the song on the radio.

[TrebMaxx]

is it raining? cause if it was raining i would let the person go first, you know cause i'm sitting in my car all nice and dry and he's out there all wet and droopy. besides i like the song on the radio.
:) I always take weather conditions under consideration for pedestrians and bicyclist.

[kstater]

6 feet equals about 2.5 steps, and the car is already at rest. I think the Car should get to go first,

This

[Consistent1]

one of the reasosn tinted windows are illegal

Are ya enuff of a pu55y to let that stop you?

[kindra68]

:) I always take weather conditions under consideration for pedestrians and bicyclist.

ok, you are in the kool kids klub. but don't ask me the secret handshake, i don't know it yet.

[Earthling]

Generally I always think the smaller thing (pedestrians...bicyclist, etc.) should alwys give the right of way to the bigger, potentially deadly, highway things. Just how big is this pedestrian anyway?

[cdcox]

If I'm the pedestrian, and am reasonably sure that the motorist sees me, I'll pick up my pace to a brisk jog until I cross the intersection. This both asserts the right of way of the pedestrian (me) and shows courtesy to the driver because I've made a clear effort to evacuate the roadway.

If I'm the motorist, I'll yield to the pedestrian if he asserts his right of way. If he stops, I'll take one of two courses of action: if there is a clearly marked crosswalk, I'll waive them through. If it there is no cross walk I'll drive through first. There is something sacred about a cross walk.

[OnTheWarpath15]

LMAO

Didn't get past the t-shirt.

I want one.

[ClevelandBronco]

Person A should look first for a hand signal from Person B. If he is given one quickly, he should proceed on course rapidly so as not to delay person B any longer than necessary. A slight burst of speed and a friendly wave from Person A will be welcomed by Person B at this stage.

If no signal is given by Person B, Person A should gesture to indicate that Person B should guide his vehicle through the intersection first. This ensures that Person A will not assume too much of Person B without knowing how his day has been going. Person A should then adjust his speed and course so he will pass immediately behind Person B's vehicle. Person B should proceed through the intersection rapidly, though not carelessly, so Person A does not have to walk too far out of his normal pedestrian path in order to pass behind Person B's vehicle. In the latter case, Person B should have the courtesy of delivering a friendly wave to Person A as he passes him.

Person A's safety should be paramount to both parties throughout this interaction. Both parties' convenience is important, but of secondary consideration.

Eye contact is complex in this interaction and the gender and attractiveness of both parties should be considered at all times.

Disclaimer: Weather can add an element of complication to the answer above.

[Stewie]

Since the pedestrian is on the south side of the intersection I'd let him/her go first. Kind of the same reasoning that the driver to your right proceeds first when you approach an intersection at the same time. They get out of your way faster than you can get out of their way.

[Jilly]

Since the pedestrian is on the south side of the intersection I'd let him/her go first. Kind of the same reasoning that the driver to your right proceeds first when you approach an intersection at the same time. They get out of your way faster than you can get out of their way.

so logical.

[Stewie]

so logical.

I'm an injuneer. :D

[Jilly]

I'm an injuneer. :D

apparently not of spelling

[ClevelandBronco]

Window tinting and light reflections on Person B's windshield can further complicate this scenario.

In the case of extreme window tinting and/or solar anomalies, Person B should have driven his apricot BMW instead of choosing to walk. Had he done that he would have passed the intersection long before this event could have become the subject of our discussion today.

[38yrsfan]

I'm an injuneer. :D

Do you have to wear the hat when you blow the whistle? :)

[Hydrae]

I'm an injuneer. :D

PC ALERT!!!


That would be Native Americaneer.



:)

[Jilly]

Do you have to wear the hat when you blow the whistle? :)

please God, let the answer be yes.

[Rain Man]

Here's the problem. Right now, 2/3 of people think Person A has the right of way, and 1/3 of people think Person B has the right of way. If my math is right, then that means there's only a 56 percent chance that two random people will be on the same page if they encounter each other in this situation. 56 percent means chaos.