When I first started to drive a car, my dad told me that avoiding accidents not only depended on my safe driving, but also on keeping my wits about me and foreseeing mistakes other drivers were about to make.
As it turns out, it’s not only important for a driver of a car to stay alert, the same goes for a pedestrian. Take Saturday morning for instance, when I was nearly knocked down by a car not once but three times and yelled at in the process.
The first time was in parking lot, where a car reversed out of a parking bay. I guess a Mercedes doesn’t come equipped with a rearview mirror, or those driving a Mercedes think they are lord and master of the road.
Not only did the driver not apologize for nearly bumping me out of the way, she had the nerve to yell at me that I should watch out where I was going.
A short distance further an SUV was blocking the pedestrian path by a gas station. While he waited to slip into traffic, I went around the car to continue my walk. At the very moment that I was behind the SUV, the driver decided to reverse. Once again I was able to jump out of his way. This driver too yelled at me for being careless.
A little further still, I waited for the traffic lights to turn green before crossed the street. When it did, and I stepped off the curb, a car nearly ran me over and I got yelled at for a third time.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t drivers be on the lookout for pedestrians? Isn’t that why all cars come equipped with rearview and side mirrors? And since when is it no longer safe for pedestrians to cross the street when the traffic light is green?
I guess it’s true what they say about traffic lights and their meaning: red … stop, green … go, orange … go like hell.
