What is it with drivers and pedestrian crossings in this country!!???

[Strawbs]

Surely it is a known fact around the world that if you are a driver and a person is crossing at a pedestrian crossing you stop!? Every morning at the crossing at goose green I literally feel like I am dancing with death as so many drivers just zoom through the frigging crossing!

Just yesterday I was two strips in and a woman screamed through the crossing so then when I get to the other half of the crossing a guy almost runs me over! I am forced to stop (from fright I froze) in the middle of the zebra crossing and he finally stopped, I sh*t you not, about 2 inches from me.. So when I of course ask him what the hell was wrong with him, his response was, I couldnt see you as I was watching the road, I am on the frigging road you dimwit!!!!!!!!! After seeing he was then starting to get shirty I flipped him the bird and told him to go f*ck himself.. (not lady like I know but it made me feel better)..

Not sure what the answer is besides perhaps some awareness campaigns but surely this is something drivers are already aware of and just not doing?

I got my license in Australia so am happy to be enlightened by any UK drivers as to whether you are taught this as part of the road rules..

(6)

[KalamityKel]

There is no spoon Strawbs chook ;-)

[Tony.London Suburbs]

I can ASSURE you that in Inner London 40 years ago nearly everyone stopped and "almost" every Pedestrian acknowledged the Driver with a wave or smile even.

Just natural for "almost" all of us...

To demonstrate how Inner London has changed my Fathers Generation often gave car loads of complete strangers lifts if they were at a Bus Stop going in the same direction.

My M8's Dad did it all the time and it was still done(occassionally) in 1983 when I left "Inner" London as I distinctly remember being pleased that this tradition WAS still maintained "then" in The Suburbs...

One "solution" ALWAYS cross the road with others(if possible) and stand the furthest point away from any oncoming Motorist in case they "overshoot"..at least YOU won't be the victim..

[Ted Max]

London 40 years ago = modern day Australia, then. Who'd have thought it?

At that junction I always wait until the cars have fully stopped before venturing out - rather than counting on them doing so. Often this means the drivers looking at me like I am a bit special, but I figure I and they can spare 5 seconds each out of our lives to avoid a possible collision.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Ted Max Wrote:

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> London 40 years ago = modern day Australia, then.

> Who'd have thought it?

Funny you should say that as 2 years ago I sampled 645 on my fellow Grammar School Pupils lifestyles on "Friends Re-United" and only "6" still lived in Inner London(departed School Early 1970's) and more lived in Sydney,Australia.

Thats all the Inner London Southern Boroughs of Wandsworth/Lewisham/Lambeth/Southwark/Greenwich plus all the Inner London East/West/Northern Boroughs!

[Strawbs]

TEd Max - all well and good to make the cars come to a stop but then if you are not in the crossing they dont have to stop so I guess you run the risk of being stuck on the side of the road and plus a part of me cant help but think they should just bl00dy stop, it shouldnt take us being so frightened of being run over we have to wait on the side of the road at a pedestrian crossing!

[Ted Max]

Strawbs, you need to adopt the, "I'm about to step out right in front of you" posture, without actually stepping right out in front of them. This makes them stop.

I agree they should stop anyway, but it's usually only the odd car that doesn't, even in poor old 2009 "Inner London", cursed as it is with its lack of civilian spirit and harmless old geezers giving schoolgirls lifts at bustops in their Morris Marinas.

[Strawbs]

Around 97/98 in Sydney the same lift policy was applied from bus stops, I many a morning whilst waiting at the bus stop (when I moved too far from the ferry) a few of us would pile in to a car so then the car could go in the transit lane as it had enough passengers and we were at work in no time.. good times, good times..

2 things I miss about Australia - people stopping at pedestrian crossings without any question and it being illegal to park on the wrong side of the road (dont EVEN get me started on that little chestnut!!) and maybe the sun a little but given it was 41 degrees there this week I would rather the weather we are having..

Apologies I digress.. Ba$tard drivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gerrard]

I make a fair bit of eye contact with the oncoming driver before I step out and find this works well. To be fair to drivers, it is quite unusual to have crossings right next to a roundabout, so perhaps for some of them it is the last thing they expect to be dealing with. Then again, a lot of our local drivers are just incredibly unaware of anything other than the 'top tune' they are listening through their tinny and blown speakers... I always take extra care at the Goose Green crossing, in the words of Lynn faulds Wood, its a potential deathtrap.

[Ted Max]

Digressions are good, and you are allowed the odd reminisce about your homeland, just as Tony is about his lost Eden.

TLS - I had relatives who moved to Perth, WA, in the '80s. They used to complain long and hard about all the immigrants in Australia. (Alanis could have had that one from me for free when she wrote her song, but she never wrote, never called)

[LuvPeckham]

Just be thankful you don't live in France, where the crossing and stopping policy is non existant

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Ted Max Wrote:

> TLS - I had relatives who moved to Perth, WA, in the '80s. They used to complain long and hard about all the immigrants in Australia.

Complaining? You must be joking(!)

No details but (indirectly) without them I would not have been forced to start my own ?1,000,000 Turnover Business doing something I absolutely love!

THANK YOU Lewisham Council-THANK YOU!

Secondly as someone who desperately wanted Council accommodation in the heart of Sarf Londres it was BLATANTLY made clear to me that I had a "snowball's in hells chance" back in the Late 1970's/Early 1980's forcing me to take out a 25-year-old Mortgage in 1983(Do the math:)) and "emigrate" on the very edge of London next to the 180 acre Park(just voted the "best" in London) which I would never have done otherwise and I can honestly say I only remember one bad incident(nutter in Garage) in all those 25 years since "emigrating" here so you defintely won't hear me complaining..."INdirectly" they transformed my life in both those ways so I luve each and every one of them:)-D

p.s.Do miss the wailing of Police Cars in my local High Streets though but eh one can't have everyfink you know wot I mean Maxie?B)

[PeckhamRose]

I hold my camera up as if to photograph them.

Sometimes. But I always wave a thank you.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

But I always wave a thank you.

You belong in a bygone era PR(tu)

[Ted Max]

No she doesn't.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Tony.London Suburbs Wrote:

> Ted Max Wrote: > TLS - I had relatives who moved to Perth, WA, in the '80s. They used to complain long and hard about all the immigrants in Australia.

Ironic indeed but many move abroad(as you know) expecting Britain with The Sun,Beach and Pool and come unstuck accordingly.

The Ex-Pat Site is full of Brits coming back from Oz to the greatest Island in The World(STILL!)...

[PeckhamRose]

Well, I don't wave a thank you to you, coz you nearly got me one time.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Its impossible to fully appreciate how Wonderful Britain still is from Lands End to John O'Groats and most points in between whether you are exploring the endless attractions of London Town,visiting The South Downs(like I did for a 10-mile WAlk this week) or travelling to all points E/W/S/N...its diversity is truly amazing as are its people.

GREAT Britain for me M8>:D<

[PeckhamRose]

I agree Tony. I have ridden my motorcycle around a lot of UK and I love this country so much. I am a city girl and could not live happily in the country, but I do love how especially in the north you can be in a city one minute and in the vast countryside five mins up the road. However, one thing links it all, many people in cars do not stop at crossings wherever they are in this country! And probably other countries too! However, in USA, I never experienced the same clear disregard. Honestly.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Well a large part of me is STILL a City Boy as I regularly go back to the heart of London by Public Transport every week and get a 4 Zone Travel Card for the day.Thats 25 years after leaving and my "heart" is still there as are 28 years of memories(shaped to be "PeckhamRose Tinted):))..but I love the pleasantness and civility of everyday life in the 'burbs and can't waut to walk in The Sussex Countryside,nearly every week as its so envigorating but I could NOT live there at my age of 54 as I feel so stimulated and energised that I would get bored,I know.(maybe when I'm 80 though)..the Town/Burbs/Country all have their strengths and weaknesses as you know but I DO miss the "buzz and vitality" of The WAlworth Road and East Street Market where I grew up for those first 28 years..

[sanity girl]

LuvPeckham Wrote:

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> Just be thankful you don't live in France, where

> the crossing and stopping policy is non existant

Or Naples, where some drivers do not even stop for a red light at button operated pedestrian crossings!

Here in London, like Gerrard, I find that a good long stare at the oncoming driver usually does the trick, but I also always make sure they have stopped/slowed down before I step out.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

I miss the endless procession of "characters" from the Heart of London,as well.

The good denizens of Suburbia just don't come remotely close in that respect.

[*Bob*]

Drivers who don't stop at pedestrian crossing when there's someone waiting

... and

Pedestrians who start to cross expecting cars to stop regardless of distance

... Two sides of the same coin.

[indiepanda]

doctormoll Wrote:

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> Or Naples, where some drivers do not even stop for

> a red light at button operated pedestrian

> crossings!

So true, never experienced anything like it. I know Italian drivers have a bad reputation but in Naples they are bad even by Italian standards.

Having lived various places outside of London, I would say people in towns outside of London are a little quicker to stop than they are in London. Driving in London is an altogether more scary experience than outside London too... I use public transport for some journeys that might be quicker by car and I could claim it because I want to be green, but that's just a fortunate side effect!

[EvilLaugh]

Peckham is the only place in England I've been where people just plough through zebra crossings. A few months ago I saw a guy do the same thing, screeched to a halt a few inches from a girl who was clearly half way accross the road outside payless on Bellenden Rd.

To be honest i don't cross now until I have eye contact with the driver, too many idiots with cars in Peckham.

Another Bellended Road incident I saw was a girl pull out of Chadwick road, while writing a text, straight in front of a car travelling down Bellenden Rd that had no chance to stop at all and went into her.

This is what you're up against.