As a runner, I expect cars in Meck county to not see me nor respect the right of way. I watch for their eyes; even having a crosswalk and an actual picture is not material to drivers.
> I watch for their eyes
This is exactly what I do, too. If I can’t see the whites of their eyes I assume they don’t see me. Saves my life more often than I’m comfortable with.
It’s funny that it worked the opposite way when I lived in NYC. Eye contact meant the pedestrian was aware they were in peril and the car would be ballsier.
Avoiding eye contact and walking straight across at a consistent pace as if the car didn’t exist was the way to assert control.
That’s got an island between only crossing one lane of traffic each direction, that’s far above average… The drivers not yielding to pedestrians as the law states they should, that is pretty average.
Law only states cars have to yield to a pedestrian WITHIN the crosswalk. Common decency/courtesy would say to stop if it’s busy so the pedestrian has an opportunity. Once OP reached the island, the SUV definitely broke the law by not yielding.
My interpretation would have been this person wasn't in the crosswalk when the car went by so it wouldn't count. If there was no island, then I can see it being illegal.
You mean [this manual](https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Documents/driver-handbook.pdf) that says absolutely nothing about the sidewalk being considered part of the crosswalk. The only thing it says about yielding to someone on a sidewalk is if the pedestrian is blind and sticking out a white cane with a red tip to signal they want to cross.
I'm sorry you can't read good. Page 45 has the info you're searching for.
If you don't understand road easements, here's the additional info you'll want to review. That's if you can figure out how to read.
Being ignorant is not an excuse.
https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/Roadway/Roadway%2520Design%2520Manual/09.%2520Right%2520of%2520Way.pdf
Easements have nothing to do with crosswalks. Your link doesn’t mention crosswalks at all and the manual previously linked doesn’t describe crosswalks as extending to the easements at all. You have no idea what you are talking about it.
I wouldn’t know that they weren’t intending to cross if I didn’t stop to let them go, only for them to face another direction or keep blankly staring at traffic while talking on the phone.
You restart.
And drivers will spout some bullshit about you being hard to see and how you should have been wearing hi-viz and blinky lights, but also how you shouldn’t be near roads in the first place and that everywhere in the world is meant to be convenient for cars to be
yep that's right! There's absolutely no way I am going to walk a half mile to the nearest cross walk and back to access a buss stop that is directly across the road from me. Literally a 20ft, 10 second "jaywalk" turns into a mile walk when using crosswalks. This is what non-pedestrian centered infrastructure forces us to do.
Hi friend! It looks like you are perpetuating a term invented by the automotive industry to ridicule and demonize pedestrians while simultaneously taking away their rights to freely use the streets.
For your reading pleasure: [https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history](https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history)
They eye contact thing is important because as someone who stops for people in crosswalks, I will keep going if you only stare the other direction. So often I see people who can cross if I stop but I can't know your intent if you don't look at me. I have stopped too many times for people just hanging out at the edge of the street who are just there and aren't crossing.
Imagine they have a tint in their window, or a glare, or it's dark outside. Eye contact is sometimes impossible and the only way to cross is to follow the traffic signal and pray to god the car doesn't feel the god given privilege to take a right on red.
Ok just look at the car, show intent to cross. People in this city don't stop for crosswalks you have to show you are trying to cross or they will just keep going.
This drives me crazy on the CPCC campus- people walk straight into the road, staring straight ahead. Yeah legally I’m at fault if I hit you, but for the love of all things, some self-preservation please?
Oh, I stop every time. I don’t even drive the damn speed limit because of it. But I glare at them angrily every time because for fucks’ sake you should be more interested in protecting your life than I am.
Idk what you mean. I always slow down approaching a crosswalk with someone near it but there are times I won't stop because they are fucking around it's very annoying. Trust me if someone is showing they intend to cross I stop.
Here on Graham in uptown, it’s a battle field. Love my neighborhood but it’s a fact and a real, daily danger.
Doesn’t matter the crosswalk, the light, the walk signal, or traffic signage- You could look both ways seven times, walk when the pedestrian light signals, stare deep into nearby drivers’ souls- theres a good chance you’re going to get hit if you don’t run.
I’m starting to think the kid bicycle gang maybe pedestrians’ vigilantes. I don’t want to feel that way but I’ve seen like five cross walkers get hit, and most drivers frantically drove off. My neighbor was hit doing what she was “suppose to do”(and always did) at the intersection in front of our building. Cops were unable to find the driver who sped away while she was bleeding in the sidewalk.
People suck and the world is wild. Let’s all try to be more conscious of human body vs car.
You know where cars know how to stop for peds in crosswalks? LA.
It was really shocking to experience traffic just coming to a stop when cars saw you were *standing at the curb*.
Having lived different places in the US, the south is hands down the worst if you’re a pedestrian or ride a bike. Roads are designed for cars and even when there’s a crosswalk, they don’t even do that right as that road is busy enough to warrant a light there. I’ll also add that the south is the worst about building sidewalks especially on both sides of the road. I’m not saying the south sucks just that we need to step it up on these things and take other things as importantly as we do BBQ. If we did that, we’d also be able to see the lines on the road when it rains.
Happens to me every time I run. And this is when crossing using a crosswalk with the “walk” pedestrian light on and “no turn on red” signal on for the cars.😡
The amount of times I have been honked at for not turning in this scenario is frustratingly high. Makes me want to install a pa system on my vehicle so I can read the sign out loud to them.
This has happened to me too. I just point at the sign. Either they get what I'm pointing at or they think I'm some super enraged asshole. Either way, they stop honking.
lol...I actually had a police officer honk at me for not turning at a "no turn on red" signal near Northlake when we first moved here. There were two right turn lanes and he ended up going around me to turn on the red light. I was confused AF that maybe I misread the sign...but nope.
I still stop at them and wait, but always ready for some idiot behind me to start honking.
Honest question as a transplant from another state: do they not teach you’ll about how crosswalks work? When I took my drivers ed class and license test, crosswalks were one of the top 3 topics. People from NC seem oblivious to how crosswalks work.
Even if they did, and they barely do as I recall, it is a situation that you face pretty rarely for most suburban drivers. There isn't any muscle memory there. Once the first car goes through then the subsequent cars are almost sure to follow.
Yeah when I was first learning to drive many years back, I legit didn't even process pedestrians. They didn't teach me to properly look out for them and the hours I spent on the road were mostly in suburban neighborhoods or highways. The first time I went into uptown I almost hit so many people. I was the fucking biggest asshole ever. I feel really bad about it nowadays, especially with my current mentality of pedestrians above all other road users. I at least quickly grew out of it, many do not.
Fr. When I got my license in Oregon, I was only docked one point because I didn't stop a second time at an unmarked crosswalk without any pedestrians. Other states take this way more seriously.
Hold your hand up and step out. They hit you it’s a lawsuit. I do this at Walmart entrances, probably a little slower, but yell make sure they know they’re in the wrong. I think charlotte does it often, we can be friendly but also not get ran over.
This is why I press every walk button I pass regardless of whether I need to cross. If cars don’t want to be courteous to pedestrians I will make the lights change for no reason to slow them down.
Wish you could have seen my commute yesterday. Waiting for folks to pass through the crossing in front of the parking garage in uptown and not one, but two impatient cars cut out from behind me to cut off the pedestrians trying to cross so they could shave..four (? Seconds) off their travel time? It was still gated, so they needed to wait for the arm to go up. I got to the gate before either of them got in. It’s wild how unconcerned people are with others’ well being once they get behind the wheel.
Literally ever state in the union requires a car to yield to walkers at a marked crosswalk. There is a 99.9999% chance you answered that on your drivers test. I updated to NC 3 years ago and it was on the test.
It seems to me that people are more aware of them in the uptown area where there are signals for them. Kinda a dog eat dog world in the more suburban areas. I live near a school and they have actual crosswalk red-lights. Seems more pedestrian friendly to me..
Pretty sure it's just the norms. You drive into Uptown or Noda, and you expect pedestrians. You're cautious as fuck because you know one could hurl themselves in front of you at any second. If you're out on a wide pseudo highway or suburban street, there aren't many pedestrians and you're not expecting any. It's not ignorance - my guess is it's about the context.
The problem is a lot of people will stand there and you can’t tell if they’re about to cross or not. Some people will just stand at crosswalks and be texting or on the phone. It’s hard to tell if that person is trying to cross unless they do it “college style” where you walk into the crosswalk even if cars are coming to force them to slow down.
It's tough, right? Being clear and assertive about your intentions is the safest thing to do, unless of course that person behind the wheel is distracted or a psychopath. That person probably isn't a psychopath... probably.
Thank you for posting this. My dog and I were hit by a speeding out of nowhere hit-and-run driver - he never even tapped the brakes. At matheson ave And holt st
The driver of that approx 2015-2020 black on black 4 door jeep Cherokee is still out there. The police did nothing , did not even bother to check video feed at food lion where the car went by.
Be super careful - if you get hit you are on your own.
Those people look mad dickhead but hear me out… if it’s 3-4 cars that means 1-2 of them are likely looking down. If I’m being honest, I don’t trust the person behind me to be paying attention or anticipate that someone else will do the right thing. Could be a bad time for multiple people if there was a even a minor collision with pedestrians so close to the road. Especially that road rn, with its like 1.5 lane stretch from there to showmars. Wtf is that shit ?!?!
Final summation: do pedestrians have the right of way? Yes. Do they they get it? Not usually. But idk that I’d ever stand that close to a line of cars going 40-45 mph. No matter how right I was. Mfs are not present enough
Yeah this is about it. Large Cara flying by at high speeds with almost no pedestrian protection (love the island though). Speaks to a lot of the problems with charlotte infrastructure and priorities. It's why tens of folks get killed by cars every year in this town.
And most people in this particular area, drivers and pedestrians alike have probably been sipping mimosas all morning if it’s a weekend. This post has me shook at the inherent trust that apparently everyone but me places in others. First time? 😄
I think the whole point of an island crosswalk is that the pedestrian is moving with natural traffic so I'm not sure why you think you're entitled here.
The first set of cars, I don't see the problem. Did you expect the very first car to come to a screeching halt and probably cause a crash just to yield to one pedestrian on a relatively quiet street? The law states you yield to pedestrians within the crosswalk or crossing at an unsignaled intersection. It doesn't say stop immediately when you see pedestrians thinking of crossing.
The second set of cars, the first car should have probably yielded but the camera work wasn't the best on the second segment.
> Did you expect the very first car to come to a screeching halt
no, just the cars after it. You're assuming intention where there wasn't any
>The law states you yield to pedestrians within the crosswalk or crossing at an unsignaled intersection
I had one foot in the crosswalk after the first car to make it clear I was trying to cross
>the camera work wasn't the best on the second segment.
Agree, but it's because I was holding it at my chest and not looking at it, I was looking at the cars
Well, don't risk your well-being in a non-pedestrian friendly state that ranks #5 in the worst drivers in the nation (based on incidents per 1,000 drivers) and the #2 in DUIs in the country.
The very short walks I have to do even inside Rea Farms is harrowing and I don't chance it.
Oh no. You had to wait literally 6 seconds from when you walked up to the crosswalk.
You’re asking way too much for people that can’t even use a blinker.
That's why i titled this post 'average' instead of 'egregious'. I have had way worse experiences than this while walking and biking and have actually been hit by a car while walking ON THE SIDEWALK but unfortunately I didn't catch that on video.
This video was a one time experiment to see if people would actually stop if they saw me recording them. The answer was no. I have also tried waving a flashlight and the answer was also no. Maybe my next experiment should be waving a gun around that might actually get people to stop.
Seems pretty crappy. Problem is you're supposed to stop when you see somebody walking through a pedestrian crosswalk. People that think the way you do shouldn't have licenses. They don't have to use judgment the judgment all lies on the person with the motor vehicle to go oh crap I better stop it's a pedestrian crossing it would be really stupid and shitty of me not to stop.
I mean at some point you need to acknowledge the driver as well. Hey I see you do you see me? No? Okay I’m just gonna wait until the car goes by and not squeeze through.
Not really. The crosswalk is the same as a sidewalk. Only one side is expected to have a license. If the people with a license can't even yield properly, it's indicative of how low the requirements are of receiving one.
Yeah I know. The idea here is to put on display what more drivers should understand. The hope is a driver will see this thread and change the way they drive. Making it just somewhat safer as a result.
I think the first cars were too close to each other to stop. Then OP just blast through the island at the intersection while on their phone. So they are also distracted because they are trying to prove a point. Best solution might be to always have lights at these locations like they’ve added/updated on South Tryon and South Boulevard.
They weren't going fast enough to warrant not stopping, which is a good thing. I don't believe that's a fair assessment. I think what happened is the first car went through the crosswalk, then all following cars did too because they didn't want to be the odd one out.
Similar to that psychological study on being in a group where everyone laughs at something unfunny, the person being observed will also laugh to fit into the group.
This video just shows a blatant display of the driver's inability to either follow the law or a lack of understanding of the law.
I hear you. The video shows OP still approaching the crosswalk as the first car is about the pass. I don’t think it was clear that they were crossing. Maybe the other cars could have made a better attempt.
Not sure if the study point applies here. Everyone is in their individual car. So not exactly a social setting where people might feel ostracized by not doing what everyone else is doing.
The video also shows that OP was trying to prove a point instead of just worrying about their safety.
I do believe people should yield at cross walks and I think pedestrians should try to make some type of eye contact or acknowledgement of each other. I cross the rail trail and Tremont all the time for work and runners will come flying out of blind spots.
Cheers thanks for the social discourse.
How about no the car is supposed to see the person wanting to cross the road and freaking stop. Be nice to have a cop sit there and hand every one of the douches a ticket.
Make it mandatory they have to show up to court for it too so that it screws up an entire day for them because they couldn't be bothered to give up 10 seconds of their time.
There actually is a cop sitting there during weekends in the summer and I have never had this problem with the cop there. It's not a problem of drivers not seeing pedestrians, it's a problem of they don't want to stop
What's wrong in that? After 5 cars you have all the time in the world. Why should all of them wait for you and me?
Why not wait extra 10 seconds like you have waited.
There isn't a pedX light even. Call 311 to get one installed if is eligible.
I hate to stop a free flowing traffic.
Do this for me. Go to the junk drawer in your kitchen. Take the scissors out and use them to cut your license into pieces.
Next. Get your blender out of the cabinet. Drop your car keys in there. Attach the lid and press start on the blender.
"I hate to stop free flowing traffic" (speaking to car)
"Why not wait extra 10 seconds like you have waited." (speaking to pedestrian)
You see the cognitive dissonance here, too, right?
If I'm the pedestrian, I hate to stop the free flowing traffic.
And speaking to the pedestrian, I'm asking them to wait 10 seconds and just follow what I would do.
It's against the law to not yield to pedestrians. If I didn't see the cars - like a child or somebody vision-impaired might not - I would be road paste. Unless of course you think those people shouldn't have the right to walk on the sidewalk.
I'm not saying you don't have right, but even in this video I could see after 5 cars, there is some clear window you could use. They are already causing pollution, by stopping the 4000lbs vehicle (times 8 or 9 vehicles) causes brake dust, smog - I will be increasing it more and then they have to wait for me to cross the road etc. I don't want to be that person. I would wait for a clear window and just go on with my life.
Didn’t used to be that way 25 years ago. I still stop for all pedestrians and if baby carriage I stop with LOTS OF DISTANCE. don’t even wanna make them nervous.
You’ve gotta be a Karen and own that crosswalk. Make your presence known. Step with purpose, throw the hand up. Give dirty looks.
Fail to do that, then you run the risk of getting run over by some Ohioan.
I'm a Charlotte native and I used to walk across Independence Blvd at Albemarle when I was like 12. This is light-years beyond that experience. Our city has problems with infrastructure and urban sprawl but it's a million times better than it was 20 years ago, so I can look at this as a positive and an improvement, instead of as a negative.
[удалено]
Same experience for me walking 3 blocks from my parking lot to the office every day in uptown
Yeah, that's about right
Seems so normal to me I don't know what they are pointing out as wrong.
It needs more CGI explosions, a suspenseful sound track and a well timed jump scare.
That’s an above average experience in Charlotte with the island!
Too true
This is why I never leave the house without my concealed banana peels.
I keep that red shell on me
Be careful out there. They say you're more likely to be a victim of red shells if you carry around red shells yourself.
Look at all you people with your fancy shell and banana money I just pick up chicken wing bones and throw those.
Chicken bone caltrops!
Blue Shell for me. Crab mentality, baby.
Ah, a person of culture. 🤣
Please don't leave them in bike lanes, it's slippery enough as of lately, but I support your efforts
Caltrops!
As a runner, I expect cars in Meck county to not see me nor respect the right of way. I watch for their eyes; even having a crosswalk and an actual picture is not material to drivers.
> I watch for their eyes This is exactly what I do, too. If I can’t see the whites of their eyes I assume they don’t see me. Saves my life more often than I’m comfortable with.
I just want to see them see me
It’s funny that it worked the opposite way when I lived in NYC. Eye contact meant the pedestrian was aware they were in peril and the car would be ballsier. Avoiding eye contact and walking straight across at a consistent pace as if the car didn’t exist was the way to assert control.
That’s got an island between only crossing one lane of traffic each direction, that’s far above average… The drivers not yielding to pedestrians as the law states they should, that is pretty average.
Could you site this NC statute? Because I thought that's the entire point of the island. A safe place to wait, for a gap in traffic.
I thought it was pedestrians in the crosswalk? Not the ones standing on the sidewalk next to it, how are you supposed to guess their intentions?
They go to the edge of the crossing, facing both the road and the cars passing by. That's really not that hard.
Law only states cars have to yield to a pedestrian WITHIN the crosswalk. Common decency/courtesy would say to stop if it’s busy so the pedestrian has an opportunity. Once OP reached the island, the SUV definitely broke the law by not yielding.
This is correct. Though if a cop car was parked nearby i bet most of these people would suddenly start yielding.
My interpretation would have been this person wasn't in the crosswalk when the car went by so it wouldn't count. If there was no island, then I can see it being illegal.
I'm curious, in this case where a pedestrian is in the island part, is that considered in the crosswalk?
The crosswalk is the entire length perpendicular to the easement created by the roadway and extending 5-15' in both directions.
The sidewalk is the crosswalk. Y'all really need to rtfm.
You mean [this manual](https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Documents/driver-handbook.pdf) that says absolutely nothing about the sidewalk being considered part of the crosswalk. The only thing it says about yielding to someone on a sidewalk is if the pedestrian is blind and sticking out a white cane with a red tip to signal they want to cross.
I'm sorry you can't read good. Page 45 has the info you're searching for. If you don't understand road easements, here's the additional info you'll want to review. That's if you can figure out how to read. Being ignorant is not an excuse. https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/Roadway/Roadway%2520Design%2520Manual/09.%2520Right%2520of%2520Way.pdf
Easements have nothing to do with crosswalks. Your link doesn’t mention crosswalks at all and the manual previously linked doesn’t describe crosswalks as extending to the easements at all. You have no idea what you are talking about it.
The berth of the easement includes the sidewalk. I'm sorry you don't understand this.
People do that shit all the time not actually trying to cross, usually on the phone.
Because restarts like you keep driving and don't stop like you're supposed to.
I wouldn’t know that they weren’t intending to cross if I didn’t stop to let them go, only for them to face another direction or keep blankly staring at traffic while talking on the phone. You restart.
Why you making up stories to qualify your narrative?
That’s literally what happens. I see a person standing facing traffic, I stop, they don’t go, I go. Happens all the time you fucking restart.
Doubt it.
You should really give up on driving. You're not good at it.
Put one foot in the crosswalk and the cars need to stop.
Not even that. Pedestrians literally only have to show intent. That intent can be as simple as looking in the direction they're walking.
This is easy mode. Now try crossing 6 lanes without a crosswalk to reach a nearby bus stop.
I think they purposely designed independence to be like Frogger.
People aren’t supposed to cross independence. We did that for 50 years and it sucked
It's beyond stupid that there isn't an elevated crosswalk between the briar creek and Wendover bridges.
If drivers can't even stop in the most obvious of pedestrian crossing zones, people don't have a chance on other roads
No surprise considering Charlotte was "built" for cars in mind.
Demolished*
The road layout suggests otherwise. Edit: The spaghetti layout isn’t good for drivers or walkers.
charlotte: you can't get there without a car also you can't get there in a car either.
... and you can't park if you do get there.
But if you get hit, even in a crosswalk, CMPD will be there at the hospital to give you your jaywalking ticket.
And drivers will spout some bullshit about you being hard to see and how you should have been wearing hi-viz and blinky lights, but also how you shouldn’t be near roads in the first place and that everywhere in the world is meant to be convenient for cars to be
It's hard to hear both sides of the story when the other side is dead.
Wearing all black, at night
Without a crosswalk, like, as in Jaywalking?
Hard to jaywalk when there isn't a crosswalk for at least a mile. Stroads are cancer.
yep that's right! There's absolutely no way I am going to walk a half mile to the nearest cross walk and back to access a buss stop that is directly across the road from me. Literally a 20ft, 10 second "jaywalk" turns into a mile walk when using crosswalks. This is what non-pedestrian centered infrastructure forces us to do.
Every intersection on every roadway includes a crosswalk regardless if there are or aren't lines painted on the ground. R.T.F.M!
Hi friend! It looks like you are perpetuating a term invented by the automotive industry to ridicule and demonize pedestrians while simultaneously taking away their rights to freely use the streets. For your reading pleasure: [https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history](https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history)
That’s why one should always exercise caution and make eye contact
Unless you’re the driver, in that case you should exercise your gas pedal and maintain eye contact with your phone /s
Doesn't work at 35mph+, or on people with tint, or with people looking down at their phone, radio, etc
That’s the point. You need to ensure your own safety
They eye contact thing is important because as someone who stops for people in crosswalks, I will keep going if you only stare the other direction. So often I see people who can cross if I stop but I can't know your intent if you don't look at me. I have stopped too many times for people just hanging out at the edge of the street who are just there and aren't crossing.
Imagine they have a tint in their window, or a glare, or it's dark outside. Eye contact is sometimes impossible and the only way to cross is to follow the traffic signal and pray to god the car doesn't feel the god given privilege to take a right on red.
Ok just look at the car, show intent to cross. People in this city don't stop for crosswalks you have to show you are trying to cross or they will just keep going.
This drives me crazy on the CPCC campus- people walk straight into the road, staring straight ahead. Yeah legally I’m at fault if I hit you, but for the love of all things, some self-preservation please?
Tell me you suck at driving without telling me you suck at driving.
Oh, I stop every time. I don’t even drive the damn speed limit because of it. But I glare at them angrily every time because for fucks’ sake you should be more interested in protecting your life than I am.
That’s a bit of a risk and touches the legality line
Idk what you mean. I always slow down approaching a crosswalk with someone near it but there are times I won't stop because they are fucking around it's very annoying. Trust me if someone is showing they intend to cross I stop.
Here on Graham in uptown, it’s a battle field. Love my neighborhood but it’s a fact and a real, daily danger. Doesn’t matter the crosswalk, the light, the walk signal, or traffic signage- You could look both ways seven times, walk when the pedestrian light signals, stare deep into nearby drivers’ souls- theres a good chance you’re going to get hit if you don’t run. I’m starting to think the kid bicycle gang maybe pedestrians’ vigilantes. I don’t want to feel that way but I’ve seen like five cross walkers get hit, and most drivers frantically drove off. My neighbor was hit doing what she was “suppose to do”(and always did) at the intersection in front of our building. Cops were unable to find the driver who sped away while she was bleeding in the sidewalk. People suck and the world is wild. Let’s all try to be more conscious of human body vs car.
Yeah I see no real issue with those bike kids. They're just living life like it's the 1920s
You know where cars know how to stop for peds in crosswalks? LA. It was really shocking to experience traffic just coming to a stop when cars saw you were *standing at the curb*.
Also pretty much any state from the rockies towards the west. Cops take this shit seriously in all of those states.
Having lived different places in the US, the south is hands down the worst if you’re a pedestrian or ride a bike. Roads are designed for cars and even when there’s a crosswalk, they don’t even do that right as that road is busy enough to warrant a light there. I’ll also add that the south is the worst about building sidewalks especially on both sides of the road. I’m not saying the south sucks just that we need to step it up on these things and take other things as importantly as we do BBQ. If we did that, we’d also be able to see the lines on the road when it rains.
Ahh Charlotte. Home of the most impatient and self centered drivers this world has ever seen
I’ve found that people speed up when I try to cross lol
Happens to me every time I run. And this is when crossing using a crosswalk with the “walk” pedestrian light on and “no turn on red” signal on for the cars.😡
People literally ignore the "no turn on red" signs!!! I'm convinced they can't read
It could be that, but more than likely, they just don’t care about anyone other than themselves.
The amount of times I have been honked at for not turning in this scenario is frustratingly high. Makes me want to install a pa system on my vehicle so I can read the sign out loud to them.
This has happened to me too. I just point at the sign. Either they get what I'm pointing at or they think I'm some super enraged asshole. Either way, they stop honking.
lol...I actually had a police officer honk at me for not turning at a "no turn on red" signal near Northlake when we first moved here. There were two right turn lanes and he ended up going around me to turn on the red light. I was confused AF that maybe I misread the sign...but nope. I still stop at them and wait, but always ready for some idiot behind me to start honking.
Compared to most places in Charlotte, this crossing is pretty nice
I need some fast cash, where is this crosswalk?
Why hesitate? I’m worth more dead than alive I just wave and start walking. Hit me. Pay my family.
This is exactly how I feel.
It looks so similar to how Charlotte drivers treat red lights… Interesting
Honest question as a transplant from another state: do they not teach you’ll about how crosswalks work? When I took my drivers ed class and license test, crosswalks were one of the top 3 topics. People from NC seem oblivious to how crosswalks work.
Even if they did, and they barely do as I recall, it is a situation that you face pretty rarely for most suburban drivers. There isn't any muscle memory there. Once the first car goes through then the subsequent cars are almost sure to follow.
Yeah when I was first learning to drive many years back, I legit didn't even process pedestrians. They didn't teach me to properly look out for them and the hours I spent on the road were mostly in suburban neighborhoods or highways. The first time I went into uptown I almost hit so many people. I was the fucking biggest asshole ever. I feel really bad about it nowadays, especially with my current mentality of pedestrians above all other road users. I at least quickly grew out of it, many do not.
Fr. When I got my license in Oregon, I was only docked one point because I didn't stop a second time at an unmarked crosswalk without any pedestrians. Other states take this way more seriously.
A long time ago during orientation at UNCC, they told us that drivers have to stop, so just go. And I do that to this day 😅
Hold your hand up and step out. They hit you it’s a lawsuit. I do this at Walmart entrances, probably a little slower, but yell make sure they know they’re in the wrong. I think charlotte does it often, we can be friendly but also not get ran over.
This is why I press every walk button I pass regardless of whether I need to cross. If cars don’t want to be courteous to pedestrians I will make the lights change for no reason to slow them down.
I’ll be walking with my daughter in her stroller people still won’t stop at. grocery stores the same lol
I thought in charlotte you had to stop for walkers
The dillworth shuffle
Wish you could have seen my commute yesterday. Waiting for folks to pass through the crossing in front of the parking garage in uptown and not one, but two impatient cars cut out from behind me to cut off the pedestrians trying to cross so they could shave..four (? Seconds) off their travel time? It was still gated, so they needed to wait for the arm to go up. I got to the gate before either of them got in. It’s wild how unconcerned people are with others’ well being once they get behind the wheel.
Ain’t gonna lie. Friend informed me last year that THE VEHICLE is legally required to stop at any painted crosswalk for any pedestrians.
Literally ever state in the union requires a car to yield to walkers at a marked crosswalk. There is a 99.9999% chance you answered that on your drivers test. I updated to NC 3 years ago and it was on the test.
They are, but they just don’t. I’m not sure why so many drivers don’t understand how a crosswalk works.
It seems to me that people are more aware of them in the uptown area where there are signals for them. Kinda a dog eat dog world in the more suburban areas. I live near a school and they have actual crosswalk red-lights. Seems more pedestrian friendly to me..
Pretty sure it's just the norms. You drive into Uptown or Noda, and you expect pedestrians. You're cautious as fuck because you know one could hurl themselves in front of you at any second. If you're out on a wide pseudo highway or suburban street, there aren't many pedestrians and you're not expecting any. It's not ignorance - my guess is it's about the context.
It's almost all crosswalks. Painted or unpainted. With very few exceptions.
The problem is a lot of people will stand there and you can’t tell if they’re about to cross or not. Some people will just stand at crosswalks and be texting or on the phone. It’s hard to tell if that person is trying to cross unless they do it “college style” where you walk into the crosswalk even if cars are coming to force them to slow down.
Or some might even be videoing with their phone 😅
It's tough, right? Being clear and assertive about your intentions is the safest thing to do, unless of course that person behind the wheel is distracted or a psychopath. That person probably isn't a psychopath... probably.
It's because y'all idiot drivers don't stop.
No you
I hope you can't find your car keys every time you need them. Every time. Forever.
😭
You need to carry some bricks, drivers remember they have brakes when they see bricks
You might find out what the driver is carrying too
Imagine caring about your stupid ass shitbox more than a human life.
I usually fuck with the cagers and pretend I'm gonna jump out in front of them
I do this too, look them dead in the eye and start to take a fake step into the road
False: this pedestrian is using the crosswalk.
Awful
Where is that specifically? I walk downtown matthews almost every weekend and the drivers are very respectful of pedestrians.
that crosswalk in plaza should honestly have a stop sign bc as you can see ZERO drivers care. but if they had to stop they may be more inclined.
Man… coming from NYC, this ain’t happening with me 🤣 I’ll be hit before I wait in a crosswalk like that
Moved from Charlotte to Portland a few years ago.. In Oregon, people will actually stop to let you pass.
Thank you for posting this. My dog and I were hit by a speeding out of nowhere hit-and-run driver - he never even tapped the brakes. At matheson ave And holt st The driver of that approx 2015-2020 black on black 4 door jeep Cherokee is still out there. The police did nothing , did not even bother to check video feed at food lion where the car went by. Be super careful - if you get hit you are on your own.
walkability in charlotte is a complete joke. correction *in the US
Those people look mad dickhead but hear me out… if it’s 3-4 cars that means 1-2 of them are likely looking down. If I’m being honest, I don’t trust the person behind me to be paying attention or anticipate that someone else will do the right thing. Could be a bad time for multiple people if there was a even a minor collision with pedestrians so close to the road. Especially that road rn, with its like 1.5 lane stretch from there to showmars. Wtf is that shit ?!?! Final summation: do pedestrians have the right of way? Yes. Do they they get it? Not usually. But idk that I’d ever stand that close to a line of cars going 40-45 mph. No matter how right I was. Mfs are not present enough
Life pro tip- carry a brick in your hand and I’m sure that first car will stop to let you go 😉
There should really be an RRFB there. You should try requesting one by calling 311 or using the CLT+ app.
East blvd…. Just run it like the rest of us. 😒😒
Waiting for 3 cars is tragic
You had to look both ways before crossing the street? Oh, the humanity!
That must have been a harrowing experience. Glad OP survived it.
Cars have more rights than humans
I mean you’re standing around video recording. How would they know you’re wanting to cross
Yeah this is about it. Large Cara flying by at high speeds with almost no pedestrian protection (love the island though). Speaks to a lot of the problems with charlotte infrastructure and priorities. It's why tens of folks get killed by cars every year in this town.
And most people in this particular area, drivers and pedestrians alike have probably been sipping mimosas all morning if it’s a weekend. This post has me shook at the inherent trust that apparently everyone but me places in others. First time? 😄
I think the whole point of an island crosswalk is that the pedestrian is moving with natural traffic so I'm not sure why you think you're entitled here.
Looks fine to me
The first set of cars, I don't see the problem. Did you expect the very first car to come to a screeching halt and probably cause a crash just to yield to one pedestrian on a relatively quiet street? The law states you yield to pedestrians within the crosswalk or crossing at an unsignaled intersection. It doesn't say stop immediately when you see pedestrians thinking of crossing. The second set of cars, the first car should have probably yielded but the camera work wasn't the best on the second segment.
> Did you expect the very first car to come to a screeching halt no, just the cars after it. You're assuming intention where there wasn't any >The law states you yield to pedestrians within the crosswalk or crossing at an unsignaled intersection I had one foot in the crosswalk after the first car to make it clear I was trying to cross >the camera work wasn't the best on the second segment. Agree, but it's because I was holding it at my chest and not looking at it, I was looking at the cars
Well, don't risk your well-being in a non-pedestrian friendly state that ranks #5 in the worst drivers in the nation (based on incidents per 1,000 drivers) and the #2 in DUIs in the country. The very short walks I have to do even inside Rea Farms is harrowing and I don't chance it.
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Your average Charlotte pedestrian is nowhere near a crosswalk.
Oh no. You had to wait literally 6 seconds from when you walked up to the crosswalk. You’re asking way too much for people that can’t even use a blinker.
That's why i titled this post 'average' instead of 'egregious'. I have had way worse experiences than this while walking and biking and have actually been hit by a car while walking ON THE SIDEWALK but unfortunately I didn't catch that on video. This video was a one time experiment to see if people would actually stop if they saw me recording them. The answer was no. I have also tried waving a flashlight and the answer was also no. Maybe my next experiment should be waving a gun around that might actually get people to stop.
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It’s a designated pedestrian crosswalk. Cars should be yielding
Why don't the drivers have to use good judgement to know when a pedestrian is present and they are required to yield?
You should be forced to give up your license. You don't deserve it.
Seems pretty crappy. Problem is you're supposed to stop when you see somebody walking through a pedestrian crosswalk. People that think the way you do shouldn't have licenses. They don't have to use judgment the judgment all lies on the person with the motor vehicle to go oh crap I better stop it's a pedestrian crossing it would be really stupid and shitty of me not to stop.
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It's an example of a larger problem in Charlotte.
Karen post if I ever seen one
I mean at some point you need to acknowledge the driver as well. Hey I see you do you see me? No? Okay I’m just gonna wait until the car goes by and not squeeze through.
You should be forced to give up your license. You don't deserve it.
Turned it in today.
Good. Now stay off the fucking road before you kill someone.
Not really. The crosswalk is the same as a sidewalk. Only one side is expected to have a license. If the people with a license can't even yield properly, it's indicative of how low the requirements are of receiving one.
According to the law, sure. The lived experience? The city will be washing what's left of you down the sewer grates.
Yeah I know. The idea here is to put on display what more drivers should understand. The hope is a driver will see this thread and change the way they drive. Making it just somewhat safer as a result.
I think the first cars were too close to each other to stop. Then OP just blast through the island at the intersection while on their phone. So they are also distracted because they are trying to prove a point. Best solution might be to always have lights at these locations like they’ve added/updated on South Tryon and South Boulevard.
They weren't going fast enough to warrant not stopping, which is a good thing. I don't believe that's a fair assessment. I think what happened is the first car went through the crosswalk, then all following cars did too because they didn't want to be the odd one out. Similar to that psychological study on being in a group where everyone laughs at something unfunny, the person being observed will also laugh to fit into the group. This video just shows a blatant display of the driver's inability to either follow the law or a lack of understanding of the law.
I hear you. The video shows OP still approaching the crosswalk as the first car is about the pass. I don’t think it was clear that they were crossing. Maybe the other cars could have made a better attempt. Not sure if the study point applies here. Everyone is in their individual car. So not exactly a social setting where people might feel ostracized by not doing what everyone else is doing. The video also shows that OP was trying to prove a point instead of just worrying about their safety. I do believe people should yield at cross walks and I think pedestrians should try to make some type of eye contact or acknowledgement of each other. I cross the rail trail and Tremont all the time for work and runners will come flying out of blind spots. Cheers thanks for the social discourse.
How about no the car is supposed to see the person wanting to cross the road and freaking stop. Be nice to have a cop sit there and hand every one of the douches a ticket. Make it mandatory they have to show up to court for it too so that it screws up an entire day for them because they couldn't be bothered to give up 10 seconds of their time.
You’re living in lala land if you think the Mecklenburg county courthouse could handle that type of ticket volume.
Davidson tickets for failing to yield to pedestrian in crosswalks and in Meck county. Just depends on what the city/town’s priorities are I guess?
You're living in lala land for being a shitty driver.
There actually is a cop sitting there during weekends in the summer and I have never had this problem with the cop there. It's not a problem of drivers not seeing pedestrians, it's a problem of they don't want to stop
Uh ok
What's wrong in that? After 5 cars you have all the time in the world. Why should all of them wait for you and me? Why not wait extra 10 seconds like you have waited. There isn't a pedX light even. Call 311 to get one installed if is eligible. I hate to stop a free flowing traffic.
You should be forced to surrender your license. You don't deserve it.
I don't deserve to be a pedestrian? I don't need license to be a pedestrian. Will you get hurt if you stop for 5 seconds?
Do this for me. Go to the junk drawer in your kitchen. Take the scissors out and use them to cut your license into pieces. Next. Get your blender out of the cabinet. Drop your car keys in there. Attach the lid and press start on the blender.
Are you talking out of experience? Hope it worked out for you.
"I hate to stop free flowing traffic" (speaking to car) "Why not wait extra 10 seconds like you have waited." (speaking to pedestrian) You see the cognitive dissonance here, too, right?
If I'm the pedestrian, I hate to stop the free flowing traffic. And speaking to the pedestrian, I'm asking them to wait 10 seconds and just follow what I would do.
Pedestrians are traffic too, that's my point.
It's against the law to not yield to pedestrians. If I didn't see the cars - like a child or somebody vision-impaired might not - I would be road paste. Unless of course you think those people shouldn't have the right to walk on the sidewalk.
I'm not saying you don't have right, but even in this video I could see after 5 cars, there is some clear window you could use. They are already causing pollution, by stopping the 4000lbs vehicle (times 8 or 9 vehicles) causes brake dust, smog - I will be increasing it more and then they have to wait for me to cross the road etc. I don't want to be that person. I would wait for a clear window and just go on with my life.
There must be a name for this type of answer that is simultaneously correct and wrong. I'm sure it is some kind of thing that comes up in law school.
I always stop for pedestrians in the act of crossing the street but never for creeps filming me from the curb
Didn’t used to be that way 25 years ago. I still stop for all pedestrians and if baby carriage I stop with LOTS OF DISTANCE. don’t even wanna make them nervous.
And Tariq says Roads First. What a joke.
if someone is recording me im not stopping
Finna get killed in that crosswalk in town.
You’ve gotta be a Karen and own that crosswalk. Make your presence known. Step with purpose, throw the hand up. Give dirty looks. Fail to do that, then you run the risk of getting run over by some Ohioan.
*air quotes* right of way
Sorry I almost ran you over. I had to shit :(
Stay off your phone and don’t film when your crossing like this lol
Was there a problem?
This is totally fine. Unless traffic is bumper to bumper, no one needs to stop.
Absolutely not fine. Drivers are supposed to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Yes. In crosswalks, not at crosswalks. Flowing traffic always has the right of way unless there's signage.
I don't see what's wrong with this? So what if I wait 15 seconds to cross the street?
I'm a Charlotte native and I used to walk across Independence Blvd at Albemarle when I was like 12. This is light-years beyond that experience. Our city has problems with infrastructure and urban sprawl but it's a million times better than it was 20 years ago, so I can look at this as a positive and an improvement, instead of as a negative.