Mellodee, a fellow blogger over at "Mellodee's Musings" wrote an entry about a runner/jogger in her Austin, TX neighborhood that was hit by a car and killed. It was determined by the Austin police that the jogger was trying to cross against the light at a busy intersection and got hit by a car. Anyone familiar with heavy city traffic knows that this is a "no-no."
It seems that whenever something like this happens, the driver of the vehicle is to blame. Well, since I have begun walking, I can say that this is not true at all. I have seen pedestrians try to beat a light, a train, and vehicles. Bicyclers don't obey the laws of the road, and joggers press their luck by jogging in the street, during the busiest times of day, and seem to think everyone should watch out for them.
Mellodee thinks, and I agree wholeheartedly with her, that the following rules should be posted in every town, newspaper, blog, internet service, etc. They might just save some lives. (But only if the city officials enforce them.)
1. Follow all applicable traffic and pedestrian laws.
2. NEVER attempt to "beat" traffic or a stop light.
3. Do not assume that you have the right-of way at all times!
4. PAY ATTENTION!! Don't get lost in "the zone", always pay attention to automobiles, motorcycles, bikes, pedestrians, and your surroundings in populated areas.
5. Use common sense and do not expect others to watch out for you! Your safety? Your responsibility!
Peace,
JE
4 comments:
Oh wow, JE! I appreciate your support and agreement on this problem. Some of the behaviors of unprotected runners and bikers absolutely amaze me and not in a good way! I understand that the older one gets, the more one is aware of our own mortality, but some of these folks appear to believe that they are special, rules don't apply to them, and they will live forever....no matter what they do! And they are sooooo wrong!
Thanks my friend!
Mellodee,
Would you believe that the other day I was waiting (in my car) on a stopped train. Along came a pedestrian who then tossed a book bag she was carrying thru the space between boxcars, then proceeded to climb under the stopped train, continuing on her merry way. One slight jerk of the train, and she would have been dead! What are people thinking? Obviously, she wasn't!
JE
No wonder some people in our town think we need an overpass over the railroad tracks. I totally agree with all that you wrote. I think part of the problem with bikes is that parents don't teach their kids the rules and make sure they follow them. We had 2 kids standing right in the middle of the road yesterday and just stood there as the cars were forced to drive in the other lane to get around them.
The level of stupidity that mankind is capable of appears unlimited! How come nobody ever believes they will die until they get up in years (like us) and begin to see how fragile and precious and short life really is??
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