Community Chat

[suzyQ3]

You'd think that living in densely populated SoCal, I would have encountered every traffic gaffe or mishap.

Yesterday while driving home on a busy street (anyone ever hear of PCH (Pacific Coast HIghtway/Sepulveda Boulevard?), I came to a fairly major intersection in which the light was green for me. It had not just turned green, btw.

Thank heavens I was not going particularly fast, so I was able to catch out of the corner of my eye a woman dashing through her red light right in front of me. Okay, so stuff happens.

But she was pushing a baby carriage or stroller! When I was safely through, I blasted my horn out of sheer exasperation. This lovely young mother turned and flpped me off.

It really did shake me up.

[Azcowgirl]

UGH ...what is wrong with people. Half the time , they don't look at all to see if there are cars coming. I'd be shook up too. 

[Preds]

Saw that in our neighborhood.  Two women talking and walking and stopped for 1 second (4 way stop).  Thank goodness I was watching them because they just kept coming across the road.  The car coming from the other direction slammed on their brakes.  The moms (walkers) never even looked up, over, across, or noticed.  Made me sick to my stomach and I'm sure the other driver felt pretty much the same ... or worse.

[Annabellethecat66]

A little different but recently I was sitting at a red light with a car next to me.

Luckily I always hesitate for a few seconds and don't start immediately (only a few seconds).

I got ready to go and saw running (pushing his bike) a young man maybe 12-15 right in front of me.  He was so close trying to get across he probably brushed my fender with his leg.  It was a miracle I was able to step back on the brake.  He kept going and didn't stop, got back on his bike and as I looked over I saw him do it again.  Then the traffic was so bad I was sitting (not moving) and he was going parallel to me.  He just kept going against the lights.  People blasted their horns and he never stopped!  It was crazy!

Someone up there was looking out for him because I don't know how he didn't get hit.  I don't know how my car didn't hit him.

The guy next to me was shook up.  He looked over at me, raised his hands like....'what the heck' and sat for a second.  

I wonder how long this kid is going to live going like this? I was just talking at lunch today to a friend about things like this and she was telling me some of her stories.

Not only would it ruin the driver's life but if it didn't kill the person it would ruin their lives.  What are people thinking?

I bought a new car last year.  It's an Acura MDX and has every safety feature you can buy but I had added on at my cost extra back up sensors just for reasons like this.  It seems like there's always someone walking behind me even when I'm 1/2 way out of the parking spot.

[bonnielu]

Unfortunately rudeness is all around, as is people deciding laws are for everyone else.

We were cut off in our own neighborhood trying to make a left on a narrow road with a 25 mph speed limit. Crazy guy speeding up the hill and did not like the idea that I was almost across the road (intersection) and then a rude hand jesture and a nasty look.  It is an intersection.. two country roads that some cars use for  pass through to the next town.  Mostly on a daily basis something happens that unkind or dangerous.  Yes, they may have fast reaction time but the hother driver such as myself might not have the same SKILL THEY DO. 

[fortune]

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

You'd think that living in densely populated SoCal, I would have encountered every traffic gaffe or mishap.

Yesterday while driving home on a busy street (anyone ever hear of PCH (Pacific Coast HIghtway/Sepulveda Boulevard?), I came to a fairly major intersection in which the light was green for me. It had not just turned green, btw.

Thank heavens I was not going particularly fast, so I was able to catch out of the corner of my eye a woman dashing through her red light right in front of me. Okay, so stuff happens.

But she was pushing a baby carriage or stroller! When I was safely through, I blasted my horn out of sheer exasperation. This lovely young mother turned and flpped me off.

It really did shake me up.

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@suzyQ3

I guess the only thing worse would have been if the baby had also flipped you off!!! 

[SilleeMee]

This story happened here...

Two people, one driver and one passenger, were parked. Passenger gets out and walked behind the car as it backed up and ran over him and killed him on the spot. The driver calls 911 and the police and ambulance arrive. Police said there'd be no charges because the passenger who got run over was jaywalking.  It was a horribly sad story because these two people were best friends in their 70's. The driver coudn't see well and the one who got run over and killed was hard of hearing. I cried when I saw the story on our local news.

[lovesrecess]

We have a bike path near our neighborhood and it goes in and out of a busy street...bikers have earbuds blocking out honking horns and every other sound they may need to hear...they have no idea if a car is about to run them off the road..they also never look to see if any cars are behind them before changing lanes. Have had more than a few close calls with them.

[Moonchilde]

I think that's a consequence of CA's "the pedestrian (traditionally) has the right of way" belief, as opposed to other states where you take your life in your hands every time you step off a curb. CA has always let pedestrians feel safe, and entitled, under almost any circumstances. So idiots will keep doing that this woman did.

I hated driving in that particular area around the airport even when I had to. I never could remember, going north (simpler going south), what lane I needed to be in to not feed into the airport. 

[suzyQ3]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

I think that's a consequence of CA's "the pedestrian (traditionally) has the right of way" belief, as opposed to other states where you take your life in your hands every time you step off a curb. CA has always let pedestrians feel safe, and entitled, under almost any circumstances. So idiots will keep doing that this woman did.

I hated driving in that particular area around the airport even when I had to. I never could remember, going north (simpler going south), what lane I needed to be in to not feed into the airport. 

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@Moonchilde, thankfully not near LAX.  I don't know whether you'll recognize the area, but I was going south to get home, and  this intersection was not far from the Redondo Beach/Hermosa Beach dividing line.

Yes, the pedestrian generally has the right of way here. But every day when I walk the five blocks down to the ocean, I am reminded that that "law" means bupkus. I am totallly serious when I say that each time I come to an intersection, I take my life in my hands.

I've learned to step gingerly off the curb and expect that a car will run the intersection. It is what it is. I won't get hit as long as I practice extreme defense. Oh, and I always want to know that I've made eye contact; that's the reason I hate totally dark-tinted windows -- illegal here but some don't know or don't care.

ETA: Make that "north."