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]

Originally Posted by Buck

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]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

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.