Left your patience at home?
What’s going on? There seems to be a senseless battle in my town between pedestrians and motorists, and you’d think we who are older and supposedly wiser wouldn’t participate in the madness, but it ain’t necessarily so. Where has our common sense gone? Lives are destroyed and ended in a crazy game of ‘I dare you!’
Real lives are destroyed
I’m no longer driving which makes me a pedestrian. My opinion, however, hasn’t changed. My active imagination always saw my car as a possible killing machine bigger than you and capable of doing major damage, so I didn’t like driving and was extra careful.
C’mon, let me cross
It was thus a surprise to learn the adversaries in this combat include my contemporaries. Over lunch, a driving friend told me, during an angry diatribe against all pedestrians, that she never, ever stops for pedestrians if they are not at a corner or in a crosswalk.
‘I don’t care,’ she declared, ‘They’re breaking the law.’ What? Is this what we’ve become?
Another driver recently called pedestrians ‘pestrians’ in my presence. I nearly choked on my coffee.
Meanwhile, non-driving friends complain about drivers who whiz by and don’t stop for them when they absolutely should. No one wins in this crap game.
No one wins…
pack some patience, but leave your phone at home
C’mon everyone. Let’s leave home a few minutes earlier and pack some patience in the car — stay away from your cellphone and look out for those stupid pedestrians who cross the street looking at theirs.
View from Over the Hill 
Getting behind the wheel of a car seems to bring out the worst in many people, as does sitting at the keyboard, leading to much ranting on social media. Something about the anonymity, I guess.
Talking about anonymity Susan: Do I imagine I hear about more hit-and-runs these days too? Love ya, Maughm
Finally another person with compassion and their wits about them…..3 cheers for you hip hip hip hurrah!
Thank you Dusty: Yes, I would never have wanted to hit anyone with my car or even now with my walker! Chuckle. Stay well.
Where I live, and probably in most areas, you don’t see many drivers pulled over by police, even though countless drivers speed, run red lights, etc. The roads would be safer if lots more drivers were ticketed.
Right, but it always comes down to the cost of providing enough police to do so. Just take care when you are a pedestrian. People seem to be so stressed out lately, and so impatient. Cheers.
Good for you, Muriel. Common sense and kindness would solve most problems.
Thanks for your comment Judy: And for reading. Common sense indeed! Where has it gone?
Common sense on both sides. I’ve driven and I’ve been hit while a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk. Why do 80% of pedestrians wear dark,non reflective clothing??
Hi Ray: Good to hear from you. Your point is absolutely important. I can’t understand why black seems to be the favorite color to wear on dark, rainy mornings/evenings. My rain coat is RED. My rain jacket light blue with dark cuffs. But, these bright items of clothing were not easy to find. I had to go from store to store. Hope all is well with you, Fondly, Muriel
How do you always come up with good engaging and relevant topics ?
How kind of you to say that. Goodness knows. I just sometimes get upset with what I see, hear, or feel about stuff going on around me. You do very well too, I thoroughly enjoy your blog. Cheers.
As a former driver and now a current pedestrian with a walker I try to see both points of view. . Drivers are under much stress such as heavy traffic, following driving instructions from GPS, trying to get to appointments on time, traffic lights, and more. When suddenly a pedestrian crosses the street in the middle of the block the driver must stop and give the right of way to the pedestrian. This is the law, even though the pedestrian broke the law the driver must still give him or her the right of way. I think that pedestrians should try to follow the rules and use the crosswalks and stop lights to cross. Great blog Muriel.
Thanks for reading Joe:
I agree drivers deal with more technology and the stress of increased traffic, but our population is aging and can be slowed by physical disabilities. Drivers need to be more patient and considerate. We pedestrians, on the other hand, as you clearly state, need to follow the rules whenever possible. Cheers.