Comments on: Note to Pedestrians: The Car Always Wins http://www.bostonmagazine.com/boston_daily/2008/02/29/note-to-pedestrians-the-car-always-wins/ Just another www.bostonmagazine.com weblog Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:17:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: bostonwalker /boston_daily/2008/02/29/note-to-pedestrians-the-car-always-wins/#comment-5896 bostonwalker Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:40:15 +0000 /boston_daily/2008/02/29/note-to-pedestrians-the-car-always-wins/#comment-5896 Jaywalking was covered in the Globe some time back. The fine for jaywalking was set at $1 by the legislature some time back (100 years? 200?) and it can't be raised without a new law. I walk to work every day, and generally do not jaywalk. But I will if it's the safest way to cross the street. The last time I was almost hit by a car I had made three wrong assumptions: 1. The walk light indicated that it was safe to walk 2. The crosswalk is the right place to be 3. A big red light will cause the cars to stop I was wrong with those assumptions, but luckily I did notice that car that actually stopped for the red then raced through the intersection after the walk light lit. With the drivers the way they are, not getting killed requires constant attention. What would help is better enforcement of the basics of driving - stopping at red lights would be a place to start. Jaywalking was covered in the Globe some time back. The fine for jaywalking was set at $1 by the legislature some time back (100 years? 200?) and it can’t be raised without a new law.

I walk to work every day, and generally do not jaywalk. But I will if it’s the safest way to cross the street. The last time I was almost hit by a car I had made three wrong assumptions:
1. The walk light indicated that it was safe to walk
2. The crosswalk is the right place to be
3. A big red light will cause the cars to stop

I was wrong with those assumptions, but luckily I did notice that car that actually stopped for the red then raced through the intersection after the walk light lit. With the drivers the way they are, not getting killed requires constant attention.

What would help is better enforcement of the basics of driving - stopping at red lights would be a place to start.

]]> By: agingcynic /boston_daily/2008/02/29/note-to-pedestrians-the-car-always-wins/#comment-5893 agingcynic Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:35:41 +0000 /boston_daily/2008/02/29/note-to-pedestrians-the-car-always-wins/#comment-5893 Always struck me as odd that in a city so strapped for money, the cops don't ticket for jaywalking. My first trips to LA and NYC were eye-opening. We are walking away from a lot of money (not to mention a chance to make the streets a bit more civil). Always struck me as odd that in a city so strapped for money, the cops don’t ticket for jaywalking. My first trips to LA and NYC were eye-opening. We are walking away from a lot of money (not to mention a chance to make the streets a bit more civil).

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