Two pedestrians killed in Oakland (Smithfield: insurance, neighborhoods, buses)

[SteelCityRising]

The victims were just identified as an elderly Wilkinsburg couple married for 40 years. The wife died trying to save her husband. Tragic. Just tragic.

[erieguy]

Absolutely horrible.

[gg]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

The victims were just identified as an elderly Wilkinsburg couple married for 40 years. The wife died trying to save her husband. Tragic. Just tragic.

To be honest, no one cares. People need to get to where they are going and they need to get there now. Who gives a crap about some sad couple? They are meaningless. People need to move on. Just another little wreck and it doesn't matter in the least. He was in a wheel chair, so his life probably wasn't that good anyway. Hope the SUV doesn't have much damage. That could be costly.

What a life we are leading. What happened to people? I am looking forward to getting out of this area and moving to the country where people are a little more kind to each other. This place is getting too crazy for me. You should see how I ride my bike these days. I am just hoping to get across streets. Most of my cycling is on sidewalks. People want to kill me at every corner now. I press the buttons to make the light change, but when I have the little walk sign, I may not get across, because there is traffic and people could give a flying f. I try to make it, but sometimes I have to wait a few times when I get the little walk (person to walk sign). People need to make that right on red and that is more important than me trying to cross a street. You think I am kidding. Please join me in the new Pittsburgh. You have no idea. I have been honked at when having the walk sign and trying to cross a street many times. People can't believe I would slow them down for 2 seconds. I try and ride as fast as I can across the street, to avoid someone trying to kill me. It is what it is. I am thankful for today, because I know tomorrow will be worse and in a couple of years people will just run me over and could care less. There is no question about it.

[PIT2MAD]

Originally Posted by gg

To be honest, no one cares. People need to get to where they are going and they need to get there now. Who gives a crap about some sad couple? They are meaningless. People need to move on. Just another little wreck and it doesn't matter in the least. He was in a wheel chair, so his life probably wasn't that good anyway. Hope the SUV doesn't have much damage. That could be costly.

What a life we are leading. What happened to people? I am looking forward to getting out of this area and moving to the country where people are a little more kind to each other. This place is getting too crazy for me. You should see how I ride my bike these days. I am just hoping to get across streets. Most of my cycling is on sidewalks. People want to kill me at every corner now. I press the buttons to make the light change, but when I have the little walk sign, I may not get across, because there is traffic and people could give a flying f. I try to make it, but sometimes I have to wait a few times when I get the little walk (person to walk sign). People need to make that right on red and that is more important than me trying to cross a street. You think I am kidding. Please join me in the new Pittsburgh. You have no idea. I have been honked at when having the walk sign and trying to cross a street many times. People can't believe I would slow them down for 2 seconds. I try and ride as fast as I can across the street, to avoid someone trying to kill me. It is what it is. I am thankful for today, because I know tomorrow will be worse and in a couple of years people will just run me over and could care less. There is no question about it.

The funny thing about the walk signs and crosswalks, which you probably already hav experienced, is that there are cities even within the US where if you even LOOK at a crosswalk, all traffic stops to let you cross. I used to cut down the Romeo/Frazier steps after work to walk to my place on the Southside. Trying to cross Bates Street at that sidewalk at that time of the day is nearly impossible without me making the first move and taking at least a step into traffic, and even then, that's only 50% of the battle won as I would usually wait for a few more downhill cars to pass before one would actually stop to let me cross.

How about major fines for disobeying the law at a crosswalk? By law, the peds have the right-of-way but anyone who regularly crosses busy streets in this city has stories to tell about that time they were almost run over, I have a handful of those stories already. Instead of worrying about penalizing people severely only AFTER they've killed someone, perhaps this should be approached as drunk driving is; if you are caught driving this way, expect to face a stiff penalty. Not jail time or anything like that, but a $50-100-200 fine scheme for the first three offenses would surely deter most drivers. It wouldn't put an end to these deaths but it'd surely help the cause.

I'm currently in Madrid and a common feature on multi-lane roads is to set the crosswalks back 10-15 feet from the intersection itself and provide a momentary red light for traffic as the pedestrians get a head start on their cross. Yes you sit at a red light, only to barely make your turn without sitting at another red light, but the second one turns to a blinking yellow after a few moments where the cars can proceed if clear. Personally I'd be happy with simply some more enforcement of the laws on the books, but anyone who's been a pedestrian in a city that actually respects pedestrians immediately sees how much Pittsburgh sucks in that regard. In the US I was struck by how Boston drivers treated pedestrians, despite how they treated other drivers on the road.

As an aside, while working at Pitt I would frequently cross Terrace Street on the corner where the Pete, the pharmacy school, UPMC parking garage, and med school all meet. I used to regularly see cars blow through the second (albeit awkwardly placed) stop sign at the heavily used crosswalk. Often times a Pitt police car would be parked on that access road alongside the Pete facing this intersection while this happened! I finally emailed the Pitt police and asked why the cop sitting there never pays attention to this and I was informed that that officer is there to patrol that access road (this is also where the AD and Jamie Dixon park/enter the Pete on a daily basis), and that they would pass along my information. Whether it made a change or not, I do not know as I didn't work there much longer after that, but it just is one example to show where the priorities lie. No respect for pedestrians anywhere in this city, including downtown and on our campuses where everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their day.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by PIT2MAD

How about major fines for disobeying the law at a crosswalk? By law, the peds have the right-of-way but anyone who regularly crosses busy streets in this city has stories to tell about that time they were almost run over, I have a handful of those stories already. Instead of worrying about penalizing people severely only AFTER they've killed someone, perhaps this should be approached as drunk driving is; if you are caught driving this way, expect to face a stiff penalty. Not jail time or anything like that, but a $50-100-200 fine scheme for the first three offenses would surely deter most drivers. It wouldn't put an end to these deaths but it'd surely help the cause.

Im convinced the only traffic citations that the city issues to anyone is for driving in a (often poorly marked) bus lane. Run a red light; don't yield; purposefully cause gridlock - it's cool, but don't you dare set a tire in that bus lane.

[BigPizzaHutFan]

Some guy swore at me today for walking across the sidewalk as he was trying to pull out of a parking lot. Failing to yield the sidewalk when pulling out of a driveway is a violation that earns you three points, but apparently no one knows that.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by BigPizzaHutFan

Some guy swore at me today for walking across the sidewalk as he was trying to pull out of a parking lot. Failing to yield the sidewalk when pulling out of a driveway is a violation that earns you three points, but apparently no one knows that.

What did he say when you told him that?

[BigPizzaHutFan]

Originally Posted by erieguy

What did he say when you told him that?

Why would I get into an argument with an angry, aggressive bully?

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by BigPizzaHutFan

Why would I get into an argument with an angry, aggressive bully?

Education can go a long way in helping the pedestrian, biking, driving issue. After all, complaining here has next to chance to help, but educating someone in the wrong as it's happening, can.

[BigPizzaHutFan]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Education can go a long way in helping the pedestrian, biking, driving issue. After all, complaining here has next to chance to help, but educating someone in the wrong as it's happening, can.

Listed below, the times a bully has been convinced that he is in the wrong by a reasonable argument:

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