h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Since it is a given that, Car/Truck/Van vs. Pedestrian overwhelmingly often means Car/Truck/Van wins, a few comments relating to pederstrian survival are somewhat in order (in a spirit of equal time).

Being a pedestrian in Los Angeles is a survival skill. A few observations:

When a driver waves me through, do I trust this driver's intentions (not to mention his/her patience and/or short term memory)? More importantly, do I trust that the driver behind him/her will not veer past, not caring that there is a REASON the car ahead of he/she is stopped?

Most times, until the intersection clears (in the case of 3 and 4 way stop signs), I will loiter far enough away from the edge of the road to make my non-intention to cross clear and wait the traffic out, or go considerably out of my way to ensure my survival, and cross at a signal light.

Experience has taught me to assume in these situations that the driver perpendicular to my path of travel does not necessarily care that it's my turn to cross, and probably doesn't know passage is determined by "turns". A driver making a left or right turn into my crosswalk sometimes has not looked into the path they are turning into. Out of line-of-sight, out of mind?

If a mobile (cell-phone) is involved, I assume the driver has all higher attention turned off. I have almost been hit a half dozen times in the last year, last week I was missed by no more than 8 inches. Said driver held up her cell phone and shrugged, as though this should excuse her. Would this instance come under the heading of "DWO" (driving while overprivileged) or "DWC" (driving while clueless)?

I personally believe cars should come equipped with a bumper sticker affixed to the rear bumper which states, clearly and at the eye level of the driver in the following car, "HANG UP and drive".
Also possibly, "If you can read this, you're too close", and "Watch MY rear, not hers!"

Only (somewhat) joking,

SC

I hate pedestrians. Curse them for walking in front me while I'm driving.

I hate cars. Curse them for driving in front of me when I'm walking.

Just kidding.

Yes, pedestrian survival varies as much from country to country (and state to state) as driving etiquette. I come from a pretty safe suburb in California, but when I started going to college in upstate New York, I found that there the safest time to cross a street is just before the next bunch of cars comes hurtling past (at least, that's the time I've seen the most New Yorkers crossing streets; no New Yorker in their right mind would dare cross when the street is empty), and heaven help you if you actually cross at a crosswalk. If you try crossing at a crosswalk, all you get are strange looks and revved motors.