One of my biggest pet peeves about living in Utah is the complete lack of consideration drivers have towards pedestrians and the complete disregard they have towards traffic laws concerning pedestrians. If I can, I prefer to walk with the kids rather than drive especially to the library, the park, and to the store when I only need to pick up some milk. Each time I step out my door pushing my double stroller, I feel like I am taking my life and my children's lives in my hands just to cross the street. We live near a busy street in Provo, and when I cross the street I never know whether cars will stop for me or not.
The intersection where I cross this street does not have a marked cross walk, however, any intersection, marked or not, is a legal place for pedestrian to cross. I know this because twice a year Provo sends out a newsletter reminding people of traffic laws concerning cars and pedestrians. I think I must be the only person in Provo who reads this newsletter because I am constantly amazed by the things drivers do: they speed up and then slam on their brakes and make nasty faces at me, they change lanes so they will not have to stop, and if a car does stop other cars will just go around them without slowing down, as well driving about 50 mph on 35 mph rode. And just so you know changing lanes when a pedestrian is crossing the street and not stopping, and especially going around a car that is stop for a pedestrian, is a traffic violation.
Well, yesterday I finally got some just justice for all the times I have cars callously ignore me and endangered my children's lives by not obeying the traffic laws. As I was waiting for traffic to pass before crossing the street, a police car in the right lane stopped for me. I started to cross but as I did so I notice the car coming up behind the stopped police car starting to accelerate and change lanes into the left. I had to stop in the middle of the street until she passed to continue across (the cars coming from the opposite direction had already stopped for me). As I reached the other side of the street, I heard the policeman gun his engine. I turned to look and saw him speeding up to pull over the car that had failed to stop. I felt just a little bit smug that someone was finally being given a ticket because they failed to stop for me and children.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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5 comments:
One of my roommates transfered from Utah State, and she told me one Sunday that pedestrians actually are respected up in Logan. Around BYU seems to be the most dangerous for pedestrians in Provo. My guess is that it's because so many of the students are just bad, inexperienced drivers.
How stupid do you have to be to pass a police car that is stopped in the middle of the road? Especially when a pregnant woman with 2 children is trying to cross the street?!? I'm glad that person was pulled over. The only traffic violation I have ever received (for "supposedly" running a stop sign) came in Provo. The man who taught traffic school there told us a bunch of horror stories about people getting hurt while crossing the crosswalks and really stressed pedestrians rules that I've since been very consenctious about looking out and stopping for pedestrians.
Of all the idiotic and inane things that Korean drivers do (and there are oh so many) not stopping for pedestrians is my biggest complaint. Even when the pedestrians have a green walk signal and the cars have a red light, they still barrel through the crosswalks or dart in between people. But the Korean police don't enforce any of the laws so people continue to get away with it.
I wish people would obey all traffic laws. We had HUGE problems with people not stopping at the crosswalk by Heather's bus stop at the beginning of the year. A couple of kids were almost hit. We informed the police and they started sending a patrol car up. The car pulled over 3 people in about a half hour. It is crazy. How can you not see people standing in the middle of the road. I care about keeping pedestrians safe while I am driving. It seems that not everyone does though. I am glad that person got pulled over. I hope they learned something. Maybe there will be one more safe driver on the road.
Right there with you on that one!! I think the drivers in Utah are so rude, not only in the cases you have stated here, but also with other motorized vehicles. It scares me to cross that "busy" street you mentioned, and I always wait till it is undeniably clear before I allow us to cross.
But I'm glad to hear that you finally got some "SMUG JUSTICE" as you called it.
Wow. I remember that living in Utah. It's totally different here in Oregon. People are so considerate and kind and actually slow down at yellow lights. I guess I should appreciate it more!
Rebecca
Brigham's cousin
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