Am I just old?

I can’t help but wonder sometimes. When I was younger I was taught to look before crossing, not only by my parents, but by my teachers and school principal too. Meaning, don’t get run over. Recently I’ve noticed people will make eye contact with me, and still walk out in front of my car. This keeps happening over and over. I’m needing to reprogram my brain now due to me thinking they won’t cross. Have these people been huffing paint or were they raised differently?

 

Huffing to much meth..paint is too expensive!

 

Didn’t realize meth was so cheap

I much prefer the people that don’t look and still cross. At least that one is expected.

 

Are they in a crosswalk?, if not i turn the high-beams on and rev the engine a bit. Make them contemplate their life decisions.

 

Sometimes when I honk at wankers like this, they give me the finger like I've done something wrong by not running them over

 

Both. I’ve had people shout at me because “this is a crosswalk” but they came out when it was red. So...

Around here if you lay down the horn, or anything of the sort, they’ll just think they’re even more right.

 

You’re not old. People these days are stupid and entitled.

 

I agree that its a a different world then some of us here grew up with, common courtesy and common sense shouldn't be things that need to be taught. I try to brush off the idiots i deal with on a daily basis, while still trying to live by the values that were instilled in me by my family. What else can you do in this crazy world? Have fun, rock on,... TRUCK GANG.

 

Every kid should know the Lug Nut Rule:

‘In any collision, whichever has the most lug nuts wins. Swap in any vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian. The only exception is trains; trains always win or tie.’

My kid could work this concept out by the time he could walk.

Edit: I guess I shoulda said “biggest” vehicle, like Yardbird. But anyway, we call it the Lugnut Rule.

 

As a kid starting to drive I didn't have money for a car but I could afford a motorcycle.
The first thing everyone told me;
"Just remember, you could easily be dead right."
Even if you have the right of way you can't rely on the other guy to obey the rules of the road. That's sage advice that's served me well.
Another thing you must remember ~ the rules of the road of Mexico.
"He who has the biggest vehicle at the intersection has the right of way."

Folks these days haven't a clue about being safe ~ they're relying on you and me to "save their bacon."
I'm not that trusting.

 

Since the mobile device came out, the human species has lost around 50 percent of its situational awareness. Since the air pods or any sort of in the ear device came out, humans willingly gave up another 40 percent. This leaves around a 10 percent awareness rate of what is going on around them and in their peripheral vision. Add audio exclusion to that and they are basically blind and deaf at most times of the day.

Prior to mobile devices, people did not walk off bridges or into fountains or in front of trains or vehicles at the rate they do now. Add the lack of any sort of contact with nature (state parks or any type of non urban environment) and it only exacerbates the issue.

If you are in an airport try this test. Walk your straight line through the terminal. Do not weave in and out of the people all around you. Just walk your normal path of movement. But do not stray from it or deviate. Watch how many people run into you that are totally oblivious or clueless.

 

To play devil's advocate.

Lawfully (in PA at least) pedestrians have the right of way at any intersection whether marked as a crosswalk or not. The only exception is intersections with a lighting system.

Still goes back to what @YardBird said though, just because you're right doesn't mean you won't be dead.

 

Well said! Look at how many drive around with their Airpods in both ears as well.

 

Doesn't mean he's not old.

 

I am considering having a Phone Screen painted on my windshield.

 

I'm with Festerw on this one to a certain extent. If they're waiting at a crosswalk and you have time to stop, you're in the wrong. If they just come right up to the intersection and just step out as you're driving through then sure, they're entitled but there is some onus on the driver as well.

 

Natural selection is at work because not everyone survives to grow old.

 

Maybe I’m just old, but from a safety and being courteous standpoint I always give pedestrians the right of way.

I see just as many entitled A-holes who from behind the wheel of a 6k pound truck think any / everyone on foot or in smaller vehicles needs to bow to their presence and unneeded aggressive driving.

 

This reminds me of my early years of driving..... I was always taught to watch out for cars suddenly stopped, because of the possibilities of pedestrians crossing unlit areas, or crosswalks. Well this one time I was coming down this hill and were about 6 cars backed up, with the first car with the emergency blinkers on. So, coming down this hill I let go the brake, when all of a sudden I saw this guy do the superman, literally, towards the curb... I never saw this guy peak out or anything. These cars were stopped for a minute and oncoming traffic were not stopping either. My assumption based on the information I was seeing was someone got rear ended and they were all just looking, so I learned my lesson from there on out... I now slow down and peak myself and go if no pedestrian is crossing my lane... LOL... for the record I wasn't driving a truck, it was a red early 90s Corolla... I still die laughing about it now, but I do take it more seriously now, I have more to lose...

 

When I sometimes work in Manhattan I have to carry my tools on the train and on the sidewalks. It is a packed, military grade, all enclosed, polymer case (no exposed tools or anything sharp). I have literally mowed people to the ground who are paying absolutely Zero attention to what is directly in front of them. My tools are heavy and I can't jump out of the way, I try to sway left or right, and even call out a "heads up!" But they rather take a 55lb whack to the knees... After putting one dipshit on his ass in his fancy skinny suit, he was all up on my face until the person on his facetime call said on speaker... "I even heard him say 'heads up' ". I just laughed and said have a nice day and kept walking.
In a 12 block walk at least one person gets sense knocked into them. I really try to avoid people and find the flow, but idiots will be idiots and keep their ignorance at level 10, and their heads in the stupidity bubble of their iphone, like they are the only person walking the sidewalks. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just trying to get to work, and I'm watching where I'm going, and trying very hard to be courteous and polite. But you just can't fix stupid.

 

These same idiots drive the roadways with their heads in the stupidity bubble, totally oblivious to pedestrians and fellow drivers. They are the problem.

 

If you don’t know already look at Jeff Coopers color codes. Four min video attached.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GSOP-0JM6eE

 

Had to +1

I thought natural selection was now illegal.... sure as hell seems like it.

 

Learn your breaking markers. Hit your breaks at the last moment (assuming the pavement is dry) and come to a stop as close as possible with the front end squatted all the way down. making someone shit their pants is an outstanding teaching moment.

 

The one that used to piss me off to no end was the foreign students at university who would slowly walk in a line across the entire width of the hallway during the 10 minute span the rest of us had to get from one class to another.

 

It's one more sign of the moral decay of the fabric of our society. Entitled, entitled, entitled. As a current school administrator and educator for 30 years--damn, I guess I should be posing the same question as the OP--I have seen a significant switch in parent and student attitudes regarding respect, courtesy and authority. I'll just leave it at that. Five more years to go!

 

The latter is what I meant. Trust me, I yield to people all the time. But there’s a difference between me seeing you from a distance and the person just getting to the sidewalk edge, seeing me 1-2 car lengths away, then still jumping out. I’ve once used my car to block 2 lanes of traffic so a mother and her kid can cross the street. There was even a time where I watched 6 cars just blow through and intersection with a kid waiting to cross. I stopped to let him go. I was honestly just shocked he even waited to cross. Kid was probably no older than 10 years old. Even gave me deuces as he crossed.

That’s why my preferred lanes are the 2 right lanes. I’m a casual driver.

Body of a 30 year old mind of a 60 year old

 

Does that mean we still get a participation trophy? Sorry, that shit just pisses me off.

 

You are absolutely correct about the eye contact. A lesson learned early on years ago in riding motorcycles on the street was to always make eye contact with the other motorist, HOWEVER, more importantly is to watch for rotation of the front wheels of the vehicle. People will look you in the eye and pull right out in front of a motorcyclist time and time again. Saved my bacon more times than I care to admit. Even with the headlight on with the bike, they pull out on you every time.