Sebastopol: Are these people ON DOPE?!

[Tars]

I can't figure any other reason why they'd act suicidally, as they do. I'm referring to the knuckleheads that jaywalk across the street in downtown Sebastopol any damn place or time they choose. OK, great, maybe they lived here back when there was a railroad track down the middle of main street, and Sebastopol was a sleepy little backwater, so did I. So I guess they feel they have the right grandfathered in, to do it ad infinitum?

Don't get me wrong, I don't care if people jaywalk; I do it myself, here in town - when it's prudent. But a couple of times, in just the last week alone, I've had people step right out in front of me, without even looking, evidently with the certainty that I would slam on the brakes and spare their questionable lives.

It happens all over town. But the worst places I've seen it are on the streets around the Whole Foods shopping center, and in front of the Main Street Saloon. I can understand why they do it maybe in front of the saloon; drunken people do stoopid things. I can't understand this moronic behavior by seemingly sane or sober pedestrians though.

Dang, I hope I don't have to go in front of a judge and say, "Yeroner, sorry I mashed 'im flat & kilt 'im, but the numbskull stepped right out in front of me without looking!" People, please get a clue, so some hapless city worker doesn't have to scrape you up off the road. Sheesh.

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Tars

[Dixon]

Right on, Tars; this is a pet peeve of mine, too. But let's not attribute it to being on dope; dope gets enough undeserved bad press as it is. It's not dope that causes this behavior; it's people who are simply self-centered and inconsiderate.

And, much as I hate to say it, sometimes it appears to me that countercultural folks are more inclined to this particular kind of obnoxiousness than others. For instance, when I drove down to a peace demonstration in S.F. once, pedestrians were barging in front of cars which had the right-of-way in droves (and NOT as part of the march). I think some people confuse appropriately resisting repressive laws with violating reasonable rules.

It needs to be said that this problem cuts both ways; I think motorists violate pedestrians' right-of-way even more than the other way around.

For those of you who are clueless, here's a primer: On the street, pedestrians have the right-of-way ONLY in crosswalks and at corners, and then only if there's not a "Don't Walk" sign in effect. Otherwise, jaywalking which causes a motorist to have to slow down even a little is inconsiderate, self-centered, disrepectful, obnoxious behavior.

Similarly, you motorists who don't consistently stop and yield right-of-way to pedestrians who are in crosswalks or at corners (again, unless there's a Don't Walk sign in effect) are behaving just as badly.

It's about the Golden Rule, folks!

Dixon


I can't figure any other reason why they'd act suicidally, as they do. I'm referring to the knuckleheads that jaywalk across the street in downtown Sebastopol any damn place or time they choose. OK, great, maybe they lived here back when there was a railroad track down the middle of main street, and Sebastopol was a sleepy little backwater, so did I. So I guess they feel they have the right grandfathered in, to do it ad infinitum?

Don't get me wrong, I don't care if people jaywalk; I do it myself, here in town - when it's prudent. But a couple of times, in just the last week alone, I've had people step right out in front of me, without even looking, evidently with the certainty that I would slam on the brakes and spare their questionable lives.

It happens all over town. But the worst places I've seen it are on the streets around the Whole Foods shopping center, and in front of the Main Street Saloon. I can understand why they do it maybe in front of the saloon; drunken people do stoopid things. I can't understand this moronic behavior by seemingly sane or sober pedestrians though.

Dang, I hope I don't have to go in front of a judge and say, "Yeroner, sorry I mashed 'im flat & kilt 'im, but the numbskull stepped right out in front of me without looking!" People, please get a clue, so some hapless city worker doesn't have to scrape you up off the road. Sheesh.


Tars