Would you stop for Mark Parton? [With poll]

Even at pedestrian crossings, I often pretend to not be crossing and just walking parallell to the road if it seems like me stepping out and making the car stop would cause him more of a delay than it would cause me. I then cross when there are no cars, which is usually 5 seconds later. Some people are selfish. It is very easy to stop and start whilst walking, but in a car, it takes more time and petrol money and co2 etc. Often you find that there is a lot of pedestrian traffic and if you stop the car, they will end up waiting there for 2 minutes until more pedestrians stop crossing.

Erg0 said :

I pity anyone who relies on AM radio for their defintion of “common sense”.

… and FM with its moronic “morning zoos” and crazy calls has a lot more common sense, doesn’t it?

davo101 said :

Alderney said :

One cannot be fined for crossing anywhere unless one is within a certain distance of a marked crossing; then it’s jaywalking. But the pedestrian still has right of way over the vehicle.

Wrong. From the Australian Road Rules:

236(1) A pedestrian must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver.

Offence provision.

236(2) A pedestrian must not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver or another pedestrian.

Offence provision.

I am willing to conceed my second sentance to be incorrect. I stand by my statement regards the first (as long as one is not obstructive vehicles of course :)).

Alderney said :

It is in the Australian Road Rules that if you are crossing on a side street and a vehicle is turning in to that street the vehicle is compelled to give way to you.

I believe that to be the case, and rightly so. Especially in Canberra where a car turning into the side street probably wouldn’t indicate so the pedestrian couldn’t know before hand that the car was coming. Elsewhere on the road where there is no crossing then lookout pedestrian because if I brake or swerve it will be at the last minute. Is it too hard to pick a gap in the traffic? Mind you, I would run down any of the breakfast radio teams from 104.7 or 106.3. They sound like idiots.

The poll is flawed. There is no way I’d ever run over a dog.

Alderney said :

One cannot be fined for crossing anywhere unless one is within a certain distance of a marked crossing; then it’s jaywalking. But the pedestrian still has right of way over the vehicle.

Wrong. From the Australian Road Rules:

236(1) A pedestrian must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver.

Offence provision.

236(2) A pedestrian must not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver or another pedestrian.

Offence provision.

If he’s on foot i’ll try and avoid him.

If he’s on a bicycle, full throttle ahead.

Isn’t the principle similar to that on the water (which is power gives way to sail gives way to oar)?

A car must always give way to a pedestrian, despite the stupidity of the pedestrain and where he/she chooses to cross. One cannot be fined for crossing anywhere unless one is within a certain distance of a marked crossing; then it’s jaywalking. But the pedestrian still has right of way over the vehicle.

It is in the Australian Road Rules that if you are crossing on a side street and a vehicle is turning in to that street the vehicle is compelled to give way to you.

I’m sure he didn’t mean that drivers shouldn’t give way to pedestrians on pedestrian crossings, but that drivers shouldn’t have to give way to pedestrians that cross the road outside of designated crossing points, e.g. Jaywalking. To say that drivers shouldn’t give way to pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing would be plain silly, and obviously against the law.

I pity anyone who relies on AM radio for their defintion of “common sense”.

Please don’t let the facts get in the way of a sensational story. Mark wasn’t referring to pedestrian crossings. He was talking about these peanuts who think its their god given right to cross the road wherever they damn well please traffic be damned. I get it every day from the suit wearing brigade who roam around the parliamentary triangle. Don’t look, just walk seems to be the norm.

I don’t run over dogs; they are intelligent and sensitive creatures.