Pedestrians Beware

I walk to and/or from work often. And, when the weather gets better, will be almost everyday I work.  I enjoy the time walking. It gives me exercise, helps me to get energized for the day and gives me time to reflect.

I love walking.  Problem is, my place of employment is on one of the busiest streets in town and I have to cross the 3 busiest to get there.

I follow the pedestrian rules of the road.  I cross at crosswalks and only on walk signs.  At one intersection, I have actually have to cross both streets, so I wait for the walk sign.

When it comes on, I walk.  However, drivers don't pay attention to pedestrians.  You may have a green arrow to turn right (as what happens at one of the intersections), but I also have a walk sign.  That means, I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY!

That's right.  I have the right of way.  It takes me 20 minutes to walk to work. I leave 40 minutes before work to make sure I have a few moments before clocking in and to make sure I have time to deal with drivers who don't understand the rules of the road.

I have been nearly hit in a crosswalk with the walk sign by everyone from cops to kids.  And, that's sad.  I leave earlier to make sure I get there in time, but it seems that people who drive leave at the last possible moment and then expect those who who it actually takes longer to get there to wait for them.

Not only that, I have had people stop inside the cross walk, making it impossible for me to cross with the light because I have to walk out into traffic which means I have to wait for another whole light cycle.  I can't walk as fast as a car can drive, so it can put me a whole 5 or more minutes behind.

Also, I recently had surgery on my knee, so I don't walk as fast as I normally would, so crossing the street is slower than usual, but still in enough time for cars to get where they are going.  I have been called dirty names, honked at and even flipped off because I use the crosswalk in the fashion it was designed, but because I am slower and people are impatient.

My point is this:  Yes cars are bigger, therefore, they have more responsibility to watch out for the pedestrian, because, really, if you were to hit someone, whether it was your fault or not, the guilt it would leave with is unimaginable.