We all know that pedestrians are crazy about jaywalking, and bikers are outspoken about every single thing they can possibly be outspoken about, but what about drivers? Well, they're just rude. You knew that, but now Streetfilms has a scaremongering video, complete with subtle eerie soundtrack music, that assures the viewer they probably encountered death multiple times today.
Yep, drivers are rude, and will probably kill some of us. Of course, you know when you're in a cab turning a corner and the cabbie doesn't stop even though the pedestrians have the right of way at the crosswalk? You know you're secretly psyched you don't have to wait for all those people. We are all part of the problem.
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What some of you clowns fail to get is that yielding to pedestrians in a crosswalk isn't just good manners, it's the law.
dhex
compared to how folks drive out in queens, that was pretty damn tame. an hour on 31st street up by ditmars would set him straight.
HOTCUP
what a wiener.
very telling that he never actually depicts how cars in the crosswalk got into that situation. as if they just decide to do that. this city is not 100% optimal for any form of transportation, get over it.
by the way the honker had a PA license plate...
diablofreak
i dont get this whining, this is what makes new york city new york city. pedestrians are wrong for crossing when the cars have right of way (go to a T-intersection and you know what i'm talking about), bikers are a-holes, cabs are crazy. but seriously, if it's all quiet and smooth, it won't be new york.
case in point: columbus day traffic was eerily smooth, and it felt a little too quiet even in manhattan.
hunter.blatherer
So he's not the best guy to make the point, but the point should still be made. Drivers do this in the outer boroughs too, on roads where they don't have all the (whiny) driver excuses made above.
There really is something in our culture that makes people feel more privileged when they're driving a car.
One of you said in these comments: "We don't go out saying "I can't WAIT to make people walk 10 feet out of the way."
But you don't go out of your way to consider pedestrians either, with rare exceptions. And you certainly don't seem to realize that you put people at much more risk than just inconvenience when you force them to walk alongside fast moving cars.
I live in public and I pay attention to these things. The entitlement has to end.
Nyctini11
Well said, especially the point about the outer boroughs, I think you hear of more pedestrian/vehicle deaths in the outer boroughs. But i dare say, not a day goes by where i am not stopped in my tracks out of fear because there is a car barreling towards me going way too fast coming up on a red light, no signals what so ever and i can't remember the last time i DIDN'T have to compete with a car in a crosswalk, even worse, the buses, they force me into traffic daily at the busy intersection near our home.
his is what i don't get, put a few cops in any random busy intersection for one day, this city would make so much $$
NannyState
I made it to 00:39. What's rude is whiny, self-righteous pansy media whores who can't wait for the next camera crew to capture all the glorious posturing. We get the fact that too many drivers are self-absorbed assholes. We Get The Fact That People Are Inconvenienced On A Daily Basis. WE GET THE FACT THERE'S DOUCHEBAGS WHO TRADE IN SPINNING MOCK OUTRAGE INTO VIRAL VIDEO GOLD.
Barnard
To everyone saying "this guy's complaining too much" or "give drivers a break,"
People in cars are protected by a half-ton of steal. People on foot are protected by their bones, skin and clothes. If the car person decides they need a break, then the foot person dies.
Being bullied by drivers _every_single_day_ in NYC sucks. It saps my quality of life and makes the city a crappy place to live. I have little interest in living elsewhere. It's up to drivers to mature. How this might happen is a mystery to me.
savedbyzero
AND...that was shot on a sunny day. It's all 1000x more annoying when I'm outside, fighting with the umbrella, enduring soggy clothes/feet. While you're dry and warm, sitting down...
savedbyzero
I love this guy.
I've been a driver and now predominantly a pedestrian. So, here's a tip for all you whinging drivers: When you're at an intersection and the Don't Walk sign for pedestrians traveling parallel to you starts flashing, slow down. And maybe actually stop before getting into the crosswalk.
And if the guy behind you blows his horn, feel free to flip him off.
Wza
I get what he's saying, but it's a city with possibly 9-10 million people here during a single workday. It's crowded, stuff like this is gonna happen.
But yeh, his whining is annoying.
AlisonM
God, I'm so over being seen as a heartless evil piece of crap since I drive in this city. And I always feel the need to qualify it with "I have to for work, I have a trunk-ful of equipment." Yeah, you should pay attention to the lights and traffic ahead so you don't get stuck blocking the box, but you know what? It happens sometimes, no matter how hard you try. We don't go out saying "I can't WAIT to make people walk 10 feet out of the way." (I'm usually thinking "omg omg I really hope a cop isn't here, I don't need this 'blocking the box' ticket right now.')
As for NYC drivers, yes there are jerky ones, and yes there are honk-happy people, but most people are pretty decent drivers. I know - SHOCKING. But true. You just have to know how to deal with the environment and all the input (there is SO MUCH to keep track of while driving here!), and you're good. Otherwise, you're never getting anywhere.
As a commenter upthread said, they should make it so that all 4 crosswalks can walk at the same time so that we don't have to deal with trying to turn through a crosswalk that's being flooded with pedestrians while you have people waiting to go behind you.
hunter.blatherer
You're over "being seen as a heartless evil piece of crap"?
So then, at one time you were into it?
potsmoker
i saw this video then walked outside, walking back home a school bus stopped at a stop sign, waiting for perpendicular traffic running left to right to clear, im crossing parallel to the moving traffic crossing the street and a suv comes up the left side of the school bus to gun in front of the school bus by passing on the left to get ahead at the stop light.
since the bus is larger and higher the guy didnt stop at the sign but stopped only when he almost hit me.
total a-hole move, this is the third time that happened.
all because the guy didnt want to be behind a school bus making frequent stops,
im no saint and im not important in the grand scheme of things but he could have killed a future einstein getting off the bus for the sake of shaving a minute or two off his commute.
inoyourider
What a pussy.
Steven
What a stupid and pointless video. Why doesn't NYC make turning right on a red light legal?
twbark
forget about rudeness, it's illegal and dozens of people are killed every year...why, only so they can make a mad rush to a stop light?
i live in Hells Kitchen (the worst neighborhood for road ragers), and after giving the finger to a car that nearly ran me over in the crosswalk when i had the right of way, the NJ driver left the car idle, door open on the street, and chased me into a doorman building (video cameras everywhere) and was going to smash my face in...
when are the police going to do something!!
Kevin Walsh
There's nothing especially egregious in that video. It's NYC, deal.
I do prefer Pittsburgh streets though -- no honking and they wait for pedestrians! Good luck with that here though.
I wish I had Streetsblog's backers and underwriters...
Man I guess the other side of this is out on their bikes or walking home from work
natis
Will he STFU already? It's not being rude, it's the outcome of driving in the city. If he wants things "less rude", then run for mayor and have it so that the DOT changes things where the walk/don't walk signs are in sync so cars can easily turn without worrying about pedestrians and then when the sign turns to walk, it's walk in all directions. At first thought it doesn't seem to be more efficient but given that most of the time things get stuck because a car can't make a turn. Have him move to Vegas where they have escalators that lead to pedestrian walk-overs.
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