By Hawes Spencer |
Published online 5:42pm Thursday Mar 12th, 2009
and in print issue #0811 dated Thursday Mar 19th, 2009
An NBC29 news-gathering vehicle finds a new use for pedestrian space on the Downtown Mall in this 5:30pm image shot by Kevin Cox. (Can Hook reporters start parking this way?)
Sick Of The Local RambosMarch 12th, 2009 | 11:35pm
Excellent example of the HAZARDS a motorist has in approaching pedestrian crosswalks. If somebody runs by the news van and jogs into the crosswalk at a fast clip, a car traveling 15 to 20 miles per hour will NOT see the person in time and can NOT stop.
This is why I take exception to somebody like David Brown going on TV once again the other day and claiming "the pedestrian has the right of way".
This exact senario happened to me and my daughter one night on Market Street. Even though I attempted to stop, and violently threw my daughter into her seat belt (injuring her), I could NOT stop. Had the pedestrian not stopped and jerked herself out of my path I am sure she would have been seriously injured.
Kevin CoxMarch 13th, 2009 | 7:10am
Pedestrians don't have the right to recklessly disregard traffic. When a pedestrian is struck by a car because they did disregard traffic and caused an accident the driver is not charged. It has happened many times. Unfortunately many people, pedestrians and drivers both are apparently unaware that pedestrians do have some rights. The law is reasonable and does make sense. Now Sick why don't you try and be reasonable?
This picture show a complete disregard for those people who need to be able to access the curb ramp at the crosswalk. Put yourself in the position of a person in a wheelchair or someone who is blind. They need that curb ramp to be open. The ramp is right next to a city bus stop. CTS drivers and UTS drivers are both pretty good about managing to park their buses without blocking the ramp. It's time that WVIR learned to respect the traffic laws as well.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
Sick Of The Local RambosMarch 13th, 2009 | 9:01am
quote: "Pedestrians don’t have the right to recklessly disregard traffic."
That's exactly the point I made above. While the pedestrian hasn't created the hazard to Joe the Motorist in the picture, they do create a hazard to Joe the Motorist when they recklessly disregard traffic and jog out into the crosswalk while hidden from view by the van pictured above.
And the second point I made is how frustrating it is to see somebody like David Brown go on TV and once again preach the pedestrian *always* has the right of way.
I guess a third point I would make right now is the fact that even if a pedestrian was walking normally and entered the crosswalk after being hidden from view by the van in the image, Joe the Motorist probably still couldn't stop in time from 15 or 20 mph.
Kevin CoxMarch 13th, 2009 | 9:26am
How can you claim that this picture is an example of problems drivers face when dealing with pedestrians when there isn't even a pedestrian in the picture? The picture is more of an example of problems caused for pedestrians by a thoughtless NBC29 van driver.
I assume that even you, Sick are a pedestrian once and awhile. What would you do if you wanted to use that crosswalk while the NBC29 van was there? I bet you'd exercise due caution and stop and look around the van before you walked out into the crosswalk. Well, that's what most pedestrians would do. A "normal" pedestrian would not step out from behind the van and into the crosswalk without pausing and looking first. People who don't are the exception not the rule. I think you're infering that most pedestrians are reckless and that is untrue and unreasonable.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
edgar allen hoeMarch 13th, 2009 | 10:02am
If a human being is so stupid that they would jog at dusk across city streets wearing an ipod and actually expect people driving cars to see their every move then they are culpable in their own demise.
If joggers watched for cars as diligently as they watched for dog crap there would be a lot less near misses.
MarkMarch 13th, 2009 | 10:10am
After they cut short The Office and pre-empted 30 Rock last night for UVa's loss to BC in the ACC tournament, this is just another reason to hate NBC29. Remember last spring, when they pre-empted 2 hours of Thursday prime time to show Doppler Radar when there was a tornado warning? Who makes these decisions?
BettyMarch 13th, 2009 | 11:00am
"This picture show a complete disregard for those people who need to be able to access the curb ramp at the crosswalk. Put yourself in the position of a person in a wheelchair or someone who is blind. They need that curb ramp to be open." Good point Kevin, remember Franz Stillfried "an advocate for the disabled, who seemingly lost his life due to the lack of one of the accessibility structures for which he was an advocate, a curb cut, allowing wheelchairs onto sidewalks."
Sick Of The Local RambosMarch 13th, 2009 | 11:05am
How can you claim that this picture is an example of problems drivers face when dealing with pedestrians when there isn’t even a pedestrian in the picture? The picture is more of an example of problems caused for pedestrians by a thoughtless NBC29 van driver.
I assume that even you, Sick are a pedestrian once and awhile. What would you do if you wanted to use that crosswalk while the NBC29 van was there? I bet you’d exercise due caution and stop and look around the van before you walked out into the crosswalk. Well, that’s what most pedestrians would do. A ââ?¬Å?normal” pedestrian would not step out from behind the van and into the crosswalk without pausing and looking first. People who don’t are the exception not the rule. I think you’re infering that most pedestrians are reckless and that is untrue and unreasonable."
Kevin, I very clearly said the image above is basically what happened to me and my daughter one night. That is how it's a prime example of the problems Joe the Motorist faces when dealing with pedestrians. A pedestrian blocked from view as they JOG into the crosswalk very quickly without looking, it happens.
I disagree with you on the exceptions to the rule. I have noticed pedestrians getting more and more reckless in this city. This most likely accounts for the increase in pedestrians being struck. I attribute these problems to two seperate and distinct causes, #1) people constantly preach that the pedestrian always has the right of way, just like David Brown once again preached on TV the other night, cars can't stop on a dime from 15 and 20 mph; and #2) a lot of people are just plain stupid. They don't walk up to a crosswalk and look both ways, they just keep walking whether a car is 150 feet away or 15 feet away.
All of the above is compounded when the pedestrian is a JOGGER and runs into the crosswalk very rapidly.
Edgar Allen Hoe pretty much nailed it in his reply above.
Kevin CoxMarch 13th, 2009 | 11:49am
Thank you, Sick and Edgar for making the effort to stop when reckless pedestrians and joggers get in front of your car. I'm glad you've never hit anyone. Please keep up the good work.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
Sick Of The Local RambosMarch 13th, 2009 | 12:04pm
I drive a 7,800 pound SUV. Probably about 8,200+ pounds with my belongings and the usual two occupants. I have no choice but to make sure I don't run over a pedestrian!! :)
Another question I have about pedestrians involves what was taught back in the old days... namely, wearing light clothing after dark. The fashion style now seems to be dark colors. Even our little miniature gangstas running around after dark have sense enough to wear light clothing after dark. What happened to the rest of the population?
Kevin CoxMarch 13th, 2009 | 12:27pm
If a pedestrian watches out for cars the way they should, it doesn't matter what color their clothes are. I almost always wear black because it makes it easier to pick out my clothes in the morning, and I have never been hit. At night I approach cars as though I am completely invisible to the driver. I think a lot of people do not appreciate how difficult it can be to see pedestrians at night from a car. I have seen people step out into traffic at night when they shouldn't have but I did manage to avoid getting their blood on my nice, shiny car. Again, this crazy kind of pedestrian behavior is definitely the exception.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
Sick Of The Local RambosMarch 13th, 2009 | 1:04pm
quote: "I think a lot of people do not appreciate how difficult it can be to see pedestrians at night from a car. I have seen people step out into traffic at night when they shouldn’t have...."
Exactly! That's the "stupid people" I speak of. :)
crasshopperMarch 13th, 2009 | 2:27pm
We need to put quite a few bicyclists in the stupid catagory also. The ones I love are the early morning and late evening riders on curvy narrow roads like 53 or 20. HELLOOOOOO!!!
Not an official statementMarch 13th, 2009 | 3:35pm
Shouldn't have been parked that way....is being addressed.
Greg MorgoglioneMarch 14th, 2009 | 8:24am
Sure, Hook reporters can park that way, if it makes you happy.
Charlottesville is a joke when it comes to parking enforcement. The Charlottesville Police ticket writers get to park in loading zones, for example, and when you call for enforcement, they just drive away. You might think they'd write themselves a ticket, but no-o-o-o...
Hint: this is not news. Been this way for decades.
An NBC29 news-gathering vehicle finds a new use for pedestrian space on the Downtown Mall in this 5:30pm image shot by Kevin Cox. (Can Hook reporters start parking this way?)
15 comments
Excellent example of the HAZARDS a motorist has in approaching pedestrian crosswalks. If somebody runs by the news van and jogs into the crosswalk at a fast clip, a car traveling 15 to 20 miles per hour will NOT see the person in time and can NOT stop.
This is why I take exception to somebody like David Brown going on TV once again the other day and claiming "the pedestrian has the right of way".
This exact senario happened to me and my daughter one night on Market Street. Even though I attempted to stop, and violently threw my daughter into her seat belt (injuring her), I could NOT stop. Had the pedestrian not stopped and jerked herself out of my path I am sure she would have been seriously injured.
Pedestrians don't have the right to recklessly disregard traffic. When a pedestrian is struck by a car because they did disregard traffic and caused an accident the driver is not charged. It has happened many times. Unfortunately many people, pedestrians and drivers both are apparently unaware that pedestrians do have some rights. The law is reasonable and does make sense. Now Sick why don't you try and be reasonable?
This picture show a complete disregard for those people who need to be able to access the curb ramp at the crosswalk. Put yourself in the position of a person in a wheelchair or someone who is blind. They need that curb ramp to be open. The ramp is right next to a city bus stop. CTS drivers and UTS drivers are both pretty good about managing to park their buses without blocking the ramp. It's time that WVIR learned to respect the traffic laws as well.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
quote: "Pedestrians don’t have the right to recklessly disregard traffic."
That's exactly the point I made above. While the pedestrian hasn't created the hazard to Joe the Motorist in the picture, they do create a hazard to Joe the Motorist when they recklessly disregard traffic and jog out into the crosswalk while hidden from view by the van pictured above.
And the second point I made is how frustrating it is to see somebody like David Brown go on TV and once again preach the pedestrian *always* has the right of way.
I guess a third point I would make right now is the fact that even if a pedestrian was walking normally and entered the crosswalk after being hidden from view by the van in the image, Joe the Motorist probably still couldn't stop in time from 15 or 20 mph.
How can you claim that this picture is an example of problems drivers face when dealing with pedestrians when there isn't even a pedestrian in the picture? The picture is more of an example of problems caused for pedestrians by a thoughtless NBC29 van driver.
I assume that even you, Sick are a pedestrian once and awhile. What would you do if you wanted to use that crosswalk while the NBC29 van was there? I bet you'd exercise due caution and stop and look around the van before you walked out into the crosswalk. Well, that's what most pedestrians would do. A "normal" pedestrian would not step out from behind the van and into the crosswalk without pausing and looking first. People who don't are the exception not the rule. I think you're infering that most pedestrians are reckless and that is untrue and unreasonable.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
If a human being is so stupid that they would jog at dusk across city streets wearing an ipod and actually expect people driving cars to see their every move then they are culpable in their own demise.
If joggers watched for cars as diligently as they watched for dog crap there would be a lot less near misses.
After they cut short The Office and pre-empted 30 Rock last night for UVa's loss to BC in the ACC tournament, this is just another reason to hate NBC29. Remember last spring, when they pre-empted 2 hours of Thursday prime time to show Doppler Radar when there was a tornado warning? Who makes these decisions?
"This picture show a complete disregard for those people who need to be able to access the curb ramp at the crosswalk. Put yourself in the position of a person in a wheelchair or someone who is blind. They need that curb ramp to be open." Good point Kevin, remember Franz Stillfried "an advocate for the disabled, who seemingly lost his life due to the lack of one of the accessibility structures for which he was an advocate, a curb cut, allowing wheelchairs onto sidewalks."
http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/record/tris/00476989.html
How can you claim that this picture is an example of problems drivers face when dealing with pedestrians when there isn’t even a pedestrian in the picture? The picture is more of an example of problems caused for pedestrians by a thoughtless NBC29 van driver.
I assume that even you, Sick are a pedestrian once and awhile. What would you do if you wanted to use that crosswalk while the NBC29 van was there? I bet you’d exercise due caution and stop and look around the van before you walked out into the crosswalk. Well, that’s what most pedestrians would do. A ââ?¬Å?normal” pedestrian would not step out from behind the van and into the crosswalk without pausing and looking first. People who don’t are the exception not the rule. I think you’re infering that most pedestrians are reckless and that is untrue and unreasonable."
Kevin, I very clearly said the image above is basically what happened to me and my daughter one night. That is how it's a prime example of the problems Joe the Motorist faces when dealing with pedestrians. A pedestrian blocked from view as they JOG into the crosswalk very quickly without looking, it happens.
I disagree with you on the exceptions to the rule. I have noticed pedestrians getting more and more reckless in this city. This most likely accounts for the increase in pedestrians being struck. I attribute these problems to two seperate and distinct causes, #1) people constantly preach that the pedestrian always has the right of way, just like David Brown once again preached on TV the other night, cars can't stop on a dime from 15 and 20 mph; and #2) a lot of people are just plain stupid. They don't walk up to a crosswalk and look both ways, they just keep walking whether a car is 150 feet away or 15 feet away.
All of the above is compounded when the pedestrian is a JOGGER and runs into the crosswalk very rapidly.
Edgar Allen Hoe pretty much nailed it in his reply above.
Thank you, Sick and Edgar for making the effort to stop when reckless pedestrians and joggers get in front of your car. I'm glad you've never hit anyone. Please keep up the good work.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
I drive a 7,800 pound SUV. Probably about 8,200+ pounds with my belongings and the usual two occupants. I have no choice but to make sure I don't run over a pedestrian!! :)
Another question I have about pedestrians involves what was taught back in the old days... namely, wearing light clothing after dark. The fashion style now seems to be dark colors. Even our little miniature gangstas running around after dark have sense enough to wear light clothing after dark. What happened to the rest of the population?
If a pedestrian watches out for cars the way they should, it doesn't matter what color their clothes are. I almost always wear black because it makes it easier to pick out my clothes in the morning, and I have never been hit. At night I approach cars as though I am completely invisible to the driver. I think a lot of people do not appreciate how difficult it can be to see pedestrians at night from a car. I have seen people step out into traffic at night when they shouldn't have but I did manage to avoid getting their blood on my nice, shiny car. Again, this crazy kind of pedestrian behavior is definitely the exception.
Cordially,
Kevin Cox
quote: "I think a lot of people do not appreciate how difficult it can be to see pedestrians at night from a car. I have seen people step out into traffic at night when they shouldn’t have...."
Exactly! That's the "stupid people" I speak of. :)
We need to put quite a few bicyclists in the stupid catagory also. The ones I love are the early morning and late evening riders on curvy narrow roads like 53 or 20. HELLOOOOOO!!!
Shouldn't have been parked that way....is being addressed.
Sure, Hook reporters can park that way, if it makes you happy.
Charlottesville is a joke when it comes to parking enforcement. The Charlottesville Police ticket writers get to park in loading zones, for example, and when you call for enforcement, they just drive away. You might think they'd write themselves a ticket, but no-o-o-o...
Hint: this is not news. Been this way for decades.
Stop whining... Write a real story.