y’all it’s literally spring quarter—you should know how to cross the roads by now even if it’s your first year at UCD. so here’s a little refresher course: don’t stop in the middle of the street!!! it’s understood that if you’re walking across the street that bikers will just swerve around you. if there’s a lot of cross traffic and you’re nervous to walk inside it, then wait until it’s passed. do NOT start then stop then start then stop, nine times out of ten both pedestrian and biker are confused and end up colliding it’s like when you’re pouring something and the liquid drips down the container instead of transferring smoothly so you gotta pour it quickly instead—COMMIT TO THE POUR! accidents happen because you’re hesitating—pick either waiting or crossing, but stick to it.
also, I didn’t know the right of way hierarchy was so controversial?? it’s obviously squirrels > pedestrians > bikers >>>>>> drivers. except for maybe unitrans, that’d be the only exception
You can't really blame the pedestrian for stopping. So many bikers just keep going straight assuming that the walker will stop. Really, what you should be ranting on is how bikers don't know how to brake.
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I got run into by a biker once. I had right-of-way and was looking straight ahead. Guy was just oblivious.
A biker almost ran my fucking foot over while I was at the very end of the crosswalk. All because they don’t wanna stop. I agree with you, what author wrote is not always the case. Pedestrians do have to stop abruptly sometimes.
Bikers definitely don't swerve around pedestrians. Stopping in between lanes is sometimes the only way across for minutes at a time. Consciously watching one lane at a time is significantly safer than assuming bikers are going to stop in time for a pedestrian. I get that this may not be the technically correct way to cross a street, but you'd be hard pressed to see anyone "technically" commuting correctly around here anyways.
Plus if there's more than one biker, swerving around is significantly more dangerous. I don't think your expectations are actually safer.
Sounds like you’re the one who needs the refresher. Pedestrians have priority on crosswalks. Cyclists must give way and be prepared for them to suddenly stop or change direction. If there’s lots of cross-traffic, it’s the cyclist’s responsibility to go behind the pedestrian or brake and stop if necessary. A collision in that scenario is the cyclist’s fault. They are classed as vehicles and must permit pedestrians to cross. The hesitation on the pedestrian’s side probably comes from not knowing if the cyclist is going to do this.
Now whilst those are the rules, I agree they’re not the norm on campus, which creates a lot of the hazards for both cyclists and pedestrians. A simple fix would be if you see a pedestrian crossing, aim to pass behind them and be prepared for them to stop.
no yeah I totally agree with this!!
THIS
Walking pedestrians will always have the right of way over a bike or car. That is law. A bike or car must always legally yield their right of way under all circumstances to a walking pedestrian even if the pedestrian is jaywalking. It is California law. If a biker hits a walking pedestrian, the biker is always at fault unless the pedestrian does something obvious like intentionally jumping in front of a biker right as it is passing. Even if the biker makes excuses and says “but they were walking in the lanes of a bike circle”, it won’t matter because the law says they should have yielded their right of way, stopped, and let the pedestrian walk through. Based on how bikers bike, some should never get their license in the future. And some pedestrians can always use a little more common sense when walking. Some still don’t look both ways before crossing. They walk as if the world revolves around their own personal bubble.
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As a cyclist, this. I can't count the amount of times I've almost been put in a dangerous situation because a vehicle wanted to give me the right of way when not warranted. If everyone was on the same page we'd have no problems.
I feel so damn awkward when a car waits for me sometimes.
Unfortunately, people that bike and aren't cyclists do dumb stuff all the time, like speeding into roundabouts that a car is already going around. I think vehicles are a little afraid of bikes in this town, lol. Trying to avoid liability.
But I agree, wish we were all on the same page.
bikers >>>>> drivers 😭 That's where the chaos comes from.
Pedestrians in this town think they have the right of way even if the car has already entered the intersection. If you are a pedestrian and you get to the intersection after the car starts moving, DONT EXPECT THEM TO STOP SO YOU CAN CROSS FIRST!
https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/defense/vehicle-code/21950/#:\~:text=Vehicle%20Code%20%C2%A7%2021950%20CVC,21950.
You're exactly right. Cars and bikes both must yield to pedestrians already within the intersection. The vehicle does not have to anticipate whether you are going to enter the intersection and can go unless you are already there. You don't get to hold up traffic because you're near an intersection on the sidewalk and you are not allowed to just walk into traffic and demand right of way at any time.
I understand the law and how it directs cars to not kill pedestrians. But that doesn’t mean pedestrians should just walk out in front of cars that are already in the intersection. That’s all I’m saying. It has gotten worse in recent years.
Yes. I'm agreeing with you. See above comment.
Sorry about that. I got a little worked up over nuthin
As a biker, I wish pedestrians would just keep walking, but I understand that they’re scared because there are a LOT of bikers who literally don’t avoid pedestrians 😭
I crossposted to r/ConfidentlyWrong.
ouch 💔🥲
Absolutely! Cyclist: red light and headlight at night. Cyclist: stop at stop sign. Cyclist: turn left from the center of the lane, not from the bike lane! Pedestrian, no jaywalking. And I second not stopping in the middle of the street. Peace and health.
Why do you think a walker would stop in the middle, or part way, across the street? It’s because they’re watching as a bike has not yielded to the walker and is flying through the intersection oblivious to what going on in the intersection. I’ve had several very close calls where the bike threads the needle between me and the curb.
We need bike cops downtown again. It’s getting out of hand.
Came to UCD on crutches, graduated 1975 in a wheelchair because bicyclists. Some things don't change.
Yes, I'm old.
my bad y’all I should’ve been more clear. there are definitely insane bikers out there that don’t consider pedestrians at all and they need to do better. the annoyance I’m talking about are the pedestrians who scurry halfway onto the road, so I slow down to brake; but then they STOP in the middle of the road as if to leave room for biker(s) to pass, but then they start and stop and shuffle their feet—STILL in the middle of street—and this is the hesitation I was referring to. this sounds specific but I swear at least one person does this every day on campus and it irritates the hell out of me as well as other bikers & pedestrians on the road that ARE following road rules and using literal common sense