Parking on campus is always a hot topic among students, faculty and staff. But there’s one thing that irks me more than hard-to-find parking discourteous pedestrians.
Yes, I’ve heard the saying “pedestrians have the right of way,” but what happened to the rights of automobile drivers?
I’ve been a student at Fresno State for more than four years. I drive to campus five days a week, including weekends, and disrespectful pedestrians always seem to cross my path.
Once I approach a stop sign on campus, I’m halted anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes to allow pedestrians to cross. And we all know that every second counts when you’re running late to class. Drivers have somewhere to be, too. I’m usually sitting in the driver’s seat, in awe, waiting for a group of people to cross the street.
If you’re driving on campus during class breaks, the time between one class and the next, then remember to sit tight and watch people aimlessly talk on their phones and listen to their iPods as they cross. Some pedestrians don’t even wait for me to completely stop before leaping off the curb, in front of my car.
Some pedestrians will start walking across as I’m driving through an intersection.
My favorite scenario is when someone darts in front of my car and then 15 people follow, one by one. As I said before, we all have somewhere to be. Whether it’s to class, to work or to go home after an exhausting day ”” time is precious.
Also, use the crosswalks when you’re walking from point A to point B. After all, isn’t that what they’re there for? I can’t tell you how many students I see running across Shaw Avenue, not using the crosswalks, to get to the apartments and the Greek houses.
Another thing that ruffles my feathers is how people give me a scolding, dirty and skink eye stare when I don’t let them cross after already letting 15 people cross. Wait your turn, just like I did for the past three minutes.
It’s upsetting that I don’t receive the same courtesy just because I’m on four wheels and not on two feet.
According to California Vehicle Code 21950, “No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.”
I rest my case.
Anonymous • Feb 9, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Janessa is right on the money with this. Although crossing in the crosswalk is one thing, many students just step off the curb and diagonally stroll into the street without so much as a look. If they get hit, is it the driver’s fault? No way. Pedestrian rights are hardly unlimited. Didn’t your mama teach you to look both ways before crossing the street?
There are two students who pedal over to school riding their Huffy cruisers from Campus Pointe on MWF for a 9:00 class, and when they come to the stop sign that intersects with Chestnut, they don’t even slow down or look – they just cruise right through the stop sign into the northbound lanes without even so much as a look. I don’t know where they’re from, but in this country a stop sign is not a request. They’re eventually – for absolute certain – going to get hit by a car, and every time I see them go pedaling out into the middle of a busy street as if those oncoming cars are merely images in a video game, I wish there was a sports book nearby where I could get a bet down.
Philosotroll • Feb 9, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I waiting for the part where you tell the whippersnappers to “get off your lawn.” To call this “curmudgeonly” seems appropriate; also, I like having an excuse to use the word “curmudgeonly.”
Yes, it’s dangerous, illegal and generally irresponsible for pedestrians to cross as a vehicle is coming into the crosswalk. Of course, to complain about the “courtesy” that you aren’t extended because you’re driving a car is a little silly. The reason right-of-way laws exist is because, in the event of an accident, the pedestrian is far more likely to be seriously injured. I’m sorry that you feel that pedestrians have in some way wronged you, but its not like this is just some procedural law.
How about, instead of complaining about how people are making you late, you take responsibility on yourself and a lot time for potential disruptions and forces beyond your control? It’s easy to complain about how, on a regular basis, people make you late for class, but what does it say about you that (even after this experience) you continue to put yourself in a position where you can so easily be made late to class?
Anonymous • Feb 9, 2011 at 8:14 am
Sorry to say, but nobody cares about your case. Park across the street, south of shaw, and walk 20 minutes to class because you can’t afford a ridiculous parking pass then complain that you’re in a hurry.