Comments on: The dangers of the cross walk

By: jules

jules — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 02:55:47 +0000

i think the worst two crosswalks in norwich to try to cross at are the two that are closest together. they are the one in front of nbt and the one just up a bit at the theater. haven’t seen our boys in blue or the other dude driving the big ass dodge out lately at the noon hour directing traffic. that’s too bad because that really worked. i also give the school crossing guards credit. i’ve seen people barrel right on past them as they come out with that sign to cross kids or to stop traffic for the buses. it’s annoying that people have to be so impatient as to not yield the right of way to school kids or buses. in greene i’ve pissed many a person off when i stop for a bus in the middle of the parking on the street or just below it by the green. doesn’t matter if there is a green or a bunch of parked cars, you still have to stop for the bus if the red lights are on! not to mention the speeders! i’ve come back from taking my kids out to school and immediately after the light in greene where rts 12 and 206 intersect i must turn to get to my street. can’t tell you how many times i’ve nearly been rearended because some impatient jackass had to beat the light to roar up the hill and couldn’t go around me because of traffic in the other lane and had to stop quick while i turned. yea ok hello people, the speed limit through town and to the top of rt 206 west is 30 MPH, not 40, 50 or 80. same thing going the other way. the speed zone is 30 until you get past lions park drive. yet i’ve seen people coming down and going up who are clearly exceeding the speed limit! and the morons who get mad when you have to wait for traffic before turning onto east river road out to the school! sheesh, i may as well just put a sign on my car that says “Hit me now people because i’m going to stop soon and you’re following too closely to have any reaction time! but really, it’s time that some respect for the laws and pedestrians was shown. now yes i agree that you should not have to yield the right of way to a pedestrian who crosses in the middle of the street where there is no cross walk. it’s courteous to do but is not required or against the law. but obeying speed limits through town so you have time to stop if a pedestrian is waiting at a crosswalk is what needs to be done. yes i know we are all guilty of not paying attention or the person gets to the crosswalk as you’re right there with no time to stop unless you want to lay out a few inches of rubber but if you have time to stop when you see a pedestrian waiting it is common courtesy and the LAW to stop for them! another thing, hitting someone accidentally is the worst thing you can feel once it’s done. i know someone who hit a person and killed them. that person was never the same again in fact now nearly 10-15 years later that person does not drive at all for fear of hitting and killing someone else. that’s sad really. but i guess if people want to think they are above the law and speed on through town and not stop for crosswalks i think that they deserve the guilt of hitting someone trying to cross especially if one of the injured parties is a child. and i will be one of the ones consoling the injured people and loudly bitching at the impatient asshole who couldn’t be bothered to stop for one of the local daycares or schools out for a walk and hits them all. i know that my kids had walking tours of greene on two different days and i worried until they were off that bus in my car safe and sound! i worried that some idiot was going to take out the whole third grade of greene while they were walking around town using crosswalks and learning about greene in the process. let’s start respecting each other a little more, especially if some of us are walking around town!

By: christina

christina — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:30:22 +0000

That woman pushing the stroller was probably me. i don’t know how many times i have almost been hit by a car while bringing my child home from daycare. i think the signs are great. but the fact is i still wait about 10 to 15mins at the crosswalk by the NBT building in the mornings before anyone stops to let me cross i have been almost hit about 5 or 6 times just this month by people who just don’t want to stop.

By: jules

jules — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:01:44 +0000

well, if the signs don’t work then the cops need to enforce it because last i checked it’s a state law to yield to the pedestrians in a crosswalk. maybe if the morons who want to speed through town not letting people cross and the jerks who want to talk on cells, smoke and shift faster through crosswalks to avoid having to stop becuase it would require putting out the cigarette or ending that all important phone call were all stopped by the cops and given a ticket for not yielding to pedestrians maybe then they’d start respecting the crosswalks. and another thing most people don’t have a choice but to walk or ride a bike around town because they can’t afford to buy a car let alone gas it up. other people like to do it for excercise and because we are getting nicer days out and it’s more fun to enjoy the nice days walking rather than driving! i walk in greene all the time from eckerd’s to the electric company across the street. why would i want to drive around the green to the other side when i can just walk? it’s the same in greene, no one wants to stop. they speed through like it’s mario andretti’s personal race track. not to mention that some of the same people who don’t want to give me the right of way are the same ones who expect me to give them the right of way when i do have to drive. i do, because it’s the freaking law. of course there is always the impatient jerkoff behind me who wants to tailgate me because i’m going too slow through this part of town. yea well tailgating is against the law too and it’s not gonna be my fault if someone hits me from behind when i have to stop quick because of someone walking in the crosswalk and i decide to yield them the right of way! my insurance may go up a little bit, but whoever hits me will have outrageous insurance rates for rear ending someone and breaking a law. call us tree huggers if you want but then it’s obvious that you’ve never aprreciated a nice day by walking in it.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:27:00 +0000

I agree that drivers should be more aware and stop at a cross walk , after all is is the LAW! I do however have a problem with people slipping out between cars and expect the on coming car to stop. If you can’t use your head and use the cross walk then you have no right to complain that a car didn’t stop for you. My mother was hit years ago in Norwich. She was in a cross walk and an idiot driver pulled around a stopped car because she was in a hurry. I think it is time for drivers who have had their license a while to retake the written test to remind them of the rules of the road!

By: DM

DM — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 06:38:41 +0000

I don’t mind the signs, maybe it will teach pedestrians where the crosswalks are so they don’t dart out in front of cars in the middle of the block.

By: jane

jane — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 01:52:35 +0000

kiss this!!jmg!! i walk all over town b/c i do own a gas guzzling suv!! the idea that more people do not use the two feet that god gave them just bewilders me! and i think it is more comfy for my two kids to be in a seat then rustled in and out of thier carseats!!

By: JMG

JMG — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:42:13 +0000

If all you tree-huggers would just quit walking and get behind the wheel of your gas-guzzling SUVs like the rest of us, you wouldn’t have to worry about getting mowed down in a crosswalk.

By: Porchia

Porchia — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:15:35 +0000

I was happy to see the cross walk sign by NBT bank. More than once I have been just about run down at that cross walk. Even worse than having someones bumper right at your knee cap is the fact that these morons feel the need to open their windows to scream at you for crossing the street or flip you the bird.
On these days with my heart pounding from fright and my blood boiling from being yelled at for crossing the street, I have wished for a sign. I am not sure how to resolve this problem, I’d say perhaps ticketing offenders might work but since I must drive by this sign daily it would just be my luck that the NPD would be lurking on the day that the big truck Sysco truck is parked right in front of the bank and the pedestrian walks out just as I hit the cross walk and instead of slamming on my brakes, I keep going.