Just another case of street justice.
What? What?
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Yup.
Some dashcams operate at a lower frame rate setting to save memory.
So basically like the undercranking used in action films, or time lapse.
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Nothing according to multiple people on the thread who have stated things like “the guy was crossing legally” but as far as I know jay walking is in fact illegal. So how those two viewpoints sit together is sort of some nice mental gymnastics.
The reality here is … two assholes don;t make it right. The guy should not have crossed the road whatsoever. It appears the driver seems to be a dick too, and while he seems based on the angle of the cam it seems he cuts the lane a bit…as was stated about the jaywalker…“I do this all the time, as I suspect you do”.
Amazing the lines we all draw and how we firmly plant our flag regarding such things.
I think Mark’s point was the guy being a dick got a bit of karma. If I had jaywalked, I’d not have strolled across the street but at the very least jogged at a brisk pace. This guy acted like he owned the road and could cross anywhere he wanted. He got his comeuppance on that one.
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Oh interesting, I never knew that, thanks!
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He was going to, but then he decided to have a sandwich.
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I’m in the ‘pedestrian was crossing an empty street when a driver driving like a jerk came along’ camp. I would have glared too. People need to slow down and chill.
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I jaywalk too, but I don’t act like an entitled asshole when I see tons of fast moving metal bearing down on me, because that could get me and other people killed.
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I really wasn’t aware of any backlash against jaywalking being illegal. Mostly because I try not to do it, because crosswalks are more visible and predictable than walking out into traffic wherever. I really dislike people who think my car can just stop on a dime because I’m legally required to yield to them. Courtesy goes both ways.
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Even if the other person is in the wrong, it gives nobody the right to hit them.
The asshole driver was in position to see the pedestrian traffic as he was turning, he almost certainly was deliberately aggressive.
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I never said that, but there must be one party with a legally protected right of way.
The alternative is to run over the pedestrian, so I hope so. Drivers are supposed to yield to any unexpected obstacle or otherwise unsafe condition.
Of course, the driver wouldn’t be legally at fault for running over the ped. In fact they could possibly sue for dinging the bumper.
For me it’s fear of getting killed. The law won’t protect you. I almost get run over while in the crosswalk, at least once or twice a year. I don’t cross at crosswalks because they’re legal, but because they’re usually in places where traffic occasionally comes to a halt.
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That’s not true for everyone, pedestrians included? A jogger can’t run full-speed into someone just because they’re walking too slowly.
I am a frequent walker, and a frequent street crosser. Drivers often do no see pedestrians, bicycles, or even motorcycles. California is an aggressive state when it comes to prosecuting jaywalking, but not when it comes to drivers who hit pedestrians, especially when those drivers are cops.
Crosswalks are often the most dangerous places to cross. California is a right turn on red state, and many drivers never look right before turning. A pedestrian must be aware and look the driver in the eye and get visual acknowledgement the driver knows the pedestrian is there. I follow the unofficial “no-one’s coming law” on smaller streets: if no-one is coming, it is safe, definitely safer than a crosswalk.
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Instant Karma!
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Maybe I’m not reading you right, but yes, I agree that joggers shouldn’t run full-speed into anybody. No collisions anywhere please!
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There are situations where nobody has the legal right of way, although it is often clear who was the first to violate right of way. Police, prosecutors, and courts are very lenient toward drivers where I live; in my opinion, lethally lenient.
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Most of my working life I have commuted by car. For five years I commuted daily by bike. The last 2 years I commuted by bus. And now that I live and work downtown (last 4+ months) I got rid of my car and just walk everywhere. I share this to say I have empathy for the different modes of transportation.
As a daily bipedal commuter I jaywalk sometimes. My personal rule is not to jaywalk when it would cause cars to have to unexpectedly slam their brakes on (that would be bad for me and them). But sometimes things happen and I start crossing when the road is empty but a car comes from around a corner or a parking garage or alley. Most times I find a smile and a wave at the driver is much more effective than the dude in the video giving the death stare.
I did have one slightly different experience a couple days ago. I was crossing a wider road that was empty as far as I could see in both directions. When I was midway across a car came around the corner going excessively fast. I ran to get out the way because, safety. Yes, I was pissed they were going through my neighborhood like a bat out of hell but still doing some slow-walk-anger-stare like the guy in the video wouldn’t have helped anything.
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The driver was supposed to yield to the pedestrian. He did yield to the pedestrian. Maybe not as quickly as the jaywalker would have liked, but I don’t see how that gives the pedestrian (or the driver!) any claim to moral superiority. However bad a driver he might be, I think it is clear that he is a better driver than the pedestrian is a pedestrian.
There are lots of people sharing the road nowadays, at a wide range of normal speeds: pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders, scooterers, mopeds (a biggie where I live), motorbikes, cars, buses, garbage trucks. Traffic law tries to balance safety and free flow of traffic. That isn’t always easy, and the laws vary widely from place to place.
BTW, BB often posts videos of angry British bicycists (maybe always the same one) schooling drivers. I don’t know if this recent altercation has been posted yet:
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The legality of it all would probably depend on where the incident took place. There could be laws at the country, province/state (if applicable), and municipal level. And applying those laws would probably involve knowing details that this video doesn’t show. So I don’t think anyone in this thread can say with certainty who was “legally” right here.
Having set out why its pointless to speculate, I’m now going to speculate that they’re both probably breaking some traffic laws and therefore deserve each other and I hope that what we don’t see in this video is that they went on to have a long and happy friendship.
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Here, we call jaywalking “crossing the road”.
This is what we teach to children. If there’s a car coming, you wait. If there’s no car you can cross. Look left, look right, etc. Seriously. We trust children to do this. Just not Americans, apparently.
As a driver, someone who’s already crossing the road before you enter it has the right of way over you. They were there first, it was safe to start crossing, it’s best to let them finish. Their lack of prescience, crystal ball or time travel is not a crime.
For a car-centric equivalent - if you do a 3-point turn without yielding to other traffic using the road, you’re a dick. But if you turn onto a road and someone’s already mid-manoeuvre, that’s your problem not theirs and you yield to them. Ditto someone backing out of a parking space, etc. And yes, ditto our “jaywalking” Canadian friend here.
And to this specific video - notice when the audio kicks back in? The guy’s driving wailing on the horn and driving like a dick. Of course he gets the stinkeye. Of course he distracted the pedestrian. What a complete and utter dick.
But most of all - and I’m afraid to say I have noticed Americans struggle with this concept much more than most - there is a difference between being right, and being legal. Something can be completely legal, and still be a complete dick move (and something can be illegal, and harm no-one). It is entirely possible for adults to make well-formed decisions based on “there’s no need to be dicks about this”. Pedestrians can walk on the road without it being the end of the world, and they can be legally allowed to do so without them “lolling around the streets like sidewalks” telling everyone it’s legal, thus it’s my right and you can’t stop me. Not because it’s not legal (and to be honest, it probably isn’t there’s probably “impeding the flow of traffic” or something in there), but because it’s not cricket.
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