Wherein I am f#$%ing rude. Language warning, longish.

[Gerrinson]

I avoided the streets as much as possible on the 4th of July. Sadly, it is the 5th of July and I had to get to the office today.

I figured there would be more traffic than normal. I didn't count on bumper to bumper traffic with miles of intersections that have no cops to manage the flow of traffic, so every green light sees a rush of deficient jackasses who squeeze into the intersection so that cross traffic can neither pass across nor turn onto the main road. This irks me, but since I was on the main road to begin with, that wasn't my problem.

I still think their inconsiderate morons, though. Especially the one that was next to me when I stopped at the line so that cross traffic could get through. He whipped his wheel to the left and swerved into my lane to fill the empty space, thereby crushing the hope of anyone on the cross street managing to pull out. Asshole.

I finally reach a point where I can turn out of the bumper to bumper traffic. I check that I have the light, no one in the intersection (miracle!), and no one in the crosswalk. So I turn. And damned near run down three idiots who decided to cross the screet about 10 ft short of the crosswalk, where I couldn't quite see them due to a building with large shrubbery blocking my view.

They're walking single file across the road, get all the way into my lane, and just stop. The woman in front turns to talk to the two people behind her. Who the hell stops to have a conversation in the middle of the damned road???

I beep my horn, to indicate that they're blocking the traffic and might want to, y'know, MOVE. The woman talking looks up at me, gives me an eyeroll, and goes back to talking and they give no sign that they're actually going to move.

Fast forward a few seconds, to where I just lean on my horn and wait for them to get the point and finish jaywalking (or would that be to stop jaystanding?) They finally move off into the oncoming lane, where they all stop AGAIN. And as I drive by, the woman yells at me through my open window: "You're fucking rude, shithead!"

[Snarkasm on] Yes, she is correct. I am incredibly rude to have interrupted her conversation and I should have absolutely waited patiently until they were ready to go. And hey, with gas prices so low, I can afford to sit and run my car all day, every day. No problem at all! So, obviously, I was totally out of line and probably should be thankful she was obstructing traffic while discussing the cures for cancer, poverty, and hunger. My bad. [/end snarkasm]

Or perhaps what I meant was: Shut your damned hole and get the fuck out of the road you self-centered bitch! What the hell could you have to say that is so vitally important that it can't wait 10 seconds to get to the sidewalk? And when I finally got past you, you still weren't completely across the road! Someday, someone is just going to run your ass down. And as far as I'm concerned, you deserve it.

Oh, and a couple miles later I did find one cop directing traffic. Not at any of the dangerous intersections or side streets without lights, though. He was directing traffic into and out of the liquor store parking lot. Makes we want to dump the entire town government into

[Evil Queen]

They could have been run over! What is wrong with people?!?

[iradney]

That's when you drop into neutral, engage handbrake, and REV. LOUDLY.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I like the way you think rads. I was just going to post the same thing!

I just about had to do that the other day to some kids who were playing in the street and wouldn't move even as I was approaching. I guess it is a bit amusing though, because there may be a good chance their parents told them to literally go play in traffic.

[zzapp the witch]

So, just out of curiosity, what do you think would happen if you hit them? (I've always wondered, I mean, they ARE creating a hazard and putting themselves at risk, how responsible could you be held?)

People always like to argue about pedestrians having the right of way, but that only applies to sidewalks and crosswalks....not the middle of the damn road!

[Aramika]

People always like to argue about pedestrians having the right of way, but that only applies to sidewalks and crosswalks....not the middle of the damn road!

My driving instructor told me that pedestrians do not always have the right of way on roads such as the interstate. I asked him, "What do you do if there is a pedestrian on the interstate? Hit them?" He didn't have an answer for me.

[Pagan]

I know it's not a good idea, but had it been me, I probably would have yelled back at these wildebeasts. I don't even know people like this get dressed in the morning without offing themselves.

My driving instructor told me that pedestrians do not always have the right of way on roads such as the interstate. I asked him, "What do you do if there is a pedestrian on the interstate? Hit them?" He didn't have an answer for me.

If you ever find out, let us know. Every now and then we get someone deciding that it's a good thing to run across I-25....at night....in dark clothes....near the Big I. Do I really need to mention that they're usually drunk?

[Reyneth]

So, just out of curiosity, what do you think would happen if you hit them? (I've always wondered, I mean, they ARE creating a hazard and putting themselves at risk, how responsible could you be held?)

People always like to argue about pedestrians having the right of way, but that only applies to sidewalks and crosswalks....not the middle of the damn road!

Yup. If they are found at fault for an accident (in this case, I think it's pretty darn clear they would have been), not only do they have any med bills for themselves to worry about, the driver's car insurance can and will likely be going after them for any damages to the car or injuries to the driver.

STOPPING in the middle of the road? You're not your own freakin' parade, honey!

[Sliceanddice]

in some states the pedestrian doesnt even have the right of way in a crosswalk

[Auto]

My driving instructor told me that pedestrians do not always have the right of way on roads such as the interstate. I asked him, "What do you do if there is a pedestrian on the interstate? Hit them?" He didn't have an answer for me.

If you could have prevented the accident but chose not to -- out of some crazy idea about who had the right-of-way -- then it wasn't really an accident, was it?

You'd be at fault.

Just because a crazy person walks along an interstate highway where pedestrians are forbidden to walk doesn't give you the right to run him over in your car.

There's nothing "accidental" about that. You could have swerved/braked but didn't.

Now if you only saw the pedestrian at last second and made a serious effort to avoid hitting him but failed and he ended up dead, that's an accident where he's at fault.

[PepperElf]

i know we can't advocate hitting the people in the street.... but there's nothing that says you can't creep up slowly and rev the engine loudly... especially when you get super close to their feet...

[Samaliel]

Yeah. Even if you have the right of way, you still have to do anything possible to prevent an accident. Because if you don't, it's not an accident any more.

But with THAT kind of people, I'd be glad to tell the policemen "I'm so sorry... I didn't see them until the very last second and then I panicked ! So I slammed on the pedal ! But I mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal ! I'm really so sorry !" Not.

[Bradester]

So... it's not like deer, then? Where they tell you to just hit them rather than swerve?

And yes, I'm just kidding. I'll try to avoid hitting a deer at all costs.

But seriously, I was driving in a heavy traffic area a couple years ago when a little boy chased his ball into the street. Good thing the oncoming car was paying attention, as it was the boy was thisclose to getting hit. My heart stopped for a few beats.

What would happen in the scenario that you swerve to avoid the person on the interstate, and get yourself into an accident in the process? Would the pedestrian be at all liable?

[Broomjockey]

Pedestrians like that make me . You sometimes have the right of way. You pretty much never have the right side of the physics equation.

[Bliss]

I've seen pedestrians who tried to cross what would be our equivalent to an interstate highway at night. Anybody who saw the result would avoid crossing highways for the rest of his life. I know I will.