Read the Signs

What is this? Anyone have any idea what this signal is for? Cities across the nation and the world spen hundreds of thousands of dollars to place these on corners and intersections. But for what purpose? Are they just for decoration?

I know I have ranted about this before, but this morning I almost hit someone while they were trying to cross the street. A very busy commercial area with four lanes of traffic. This young man darts across the street, not even a half a block from a crosswalk, in front of oncoming traffic in both directions. I had to slam on my brakes from hitting him, and then HE GIVES ME THE FINGER! And behind me, Ms. Thing on her cell phone starts blaring her horn, as she was not paying attention and almost rear ended me.

I'd say 80% of pedestrians in this area where this happened do not use the crosswalk. They would prefer to walk out in busy on-coming traffic and take their chances. And what ever happened to look both ways before crossing the street. And god forbid if you are in a college town, because no one uses these nice little signs that light up indicating that you can cross the street safely. I guess when you are trying to get a college education, those things are not important.

Granted the buttons you push as a pedestrian that are to enable the crosswalks to allow you to cross do not really work, as traffic signals are timed for optimum traffic flow for vehicles, not pedestrians, but why walk fifteen steps further up the street away from the crosswalk and cross at no intersection, in the middle of the street???

I think there is a word for that isn't there? Jaywalking, is what they used to call it, and when I was a kid, the police would actually ticket people for jaywalking. I heard in Florida that Jaywalking is a felony.

Here it's just common practice.