NFL player runs over and kills Miami pedestrian (Orlando, Miami Beach: taxi driver, living in)

[HotWire]

Im not surprised...there's 2 kinds of crazy asses in Miami, the jay-walkers of south beach and little haiti and the impatient ass drivers of the mainland. I was almost ran over on US 1 by sunset place and I almost ran over a few people who literally jump in front of your car in little havana, haiti and south beach. ESPECIALLY south beach.

[Cougar Beach]

> the jay-walkers of south beach

Very few drivers in South Beach respect marked crosswalks, so pedestrians figure it doesn't matter where you cross.

[bali]

Not exactly on topic but have any of you ever driven a car in the Middle East or Asia? Frankly, I find the drivers here in Miami lacking in manners, but certainly not as bad as many other places. Having said that, it doesn't mean it is the best driving. I can't even begin to describe however the driving in places I have lived, and I am sure many others would concur whom have experienced the same.
I find the driving here very easy and much less stressful than the places I mentioned. It doesn't mean however I don't take driving for granted and do try to always expect the unexpected. Easier said than done and I say a prayer each time I get in the car, especially with my babies.

One place I lived- where the drivers were horrific, the city newspaper started printing photos of people in their cars with their licence plates doing illegal activities. They were sent in by fellow drivers who caught them on camera (not too safe either). Anyhow, the police would then follow up and charge them accordingly. There was always a kind of 911 phone call system to report bad driving. Sometimes the police would show up at your door to follow up on a complaint or you would be called into the police station for something. If you had numerous complaints you would be fined even without the police ever seeing you commit an illegal move.
Some may think this is a little too controlling or "big brother" but if it results in less fatalities and less erratic driving I am all for it.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

I heard somewhere that the guy was drunk too. If that was the case, there's no excuse. A wealthy football player has enough $$$ to pay someone to drive his drunk ass around.

I have no sympathy for the driver...I hope he spends the next couple of decades (or more) in jail to contemplate his sheer stupidity and recklessness that ended up costing someone's life.

[joshywoshy305]

Originally Posted by cuba libre

you people are being very naive.

YOU PEOPLE!? What do you mean, "you people"!?

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by HotWire

Im not surprised...there's 2 kinds of crazy asses in Miami, the jay-walkers of south beach and little haiti and the impatient ass drivers of the mainland. I was almost ran over on US 1 by sunset place and I almost ran over a few people who literally jump in front of your car in little havana, haiti and south beach. ESPECIALLY south beach.

I live in South Beach and take partial exception to this generalization. As a resident and pedestrian, I can tell you that the drivers in South Beach also have responsibility for the mess.

1. Almost nobody stops their cars fully at stop lights or stop signs
2. Cars almost never yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks or crosswalks at traffic signals. So, what might seem like pedestrians jumping in front of cars can be interpretted two ways
3. South Beach is South Florida's most pedestrian neighborhood. Cars travelling the area are often well in excess of the speed limits. This is a bad formula.
4. Cars travel the wrong way down alleys, exit out of "entrance only" areas and cut across sidewalks with pedestrians on them instead of giving them to right of way.

Now, that said, I agree that pedestrians have issues too. I see folks especially on Lincoln, just push strollers or walk across traffic when they don't have the right of way. Frankly, I am convinced that the same people who are inconsiderate drivers are the same ones that are inconsiderate walkers, stroller pushers, bike riders and sidewalk pedestrians.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl

I live in South Beach and take partial exception to this generalization. As a resident and pedestrian, I can tell you that the drivers in South Beach also have responsibility for the mess.

1. Almost nobody stops their cars fully at stop lights or stop signs
2. Cars almost never yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks or crosswalks at traffic signals. So, what might seem like pedestrians jumping in front of cars can be interpretted two ways
3. South Beach is South Florida's most pedestrian neighborhood. Cars travelling the area are often well in excess of the speed limits. This is a bad formula.
4. Cars travel the wrong way down alleys, exit out of "entrance only" areas and cut across sidewalks with pedestrians on them instead of giving them to right of way.

Now, that said, I agree that pedestrians have issues too. I see folks especially on Lincoln, just push strollers or walk across traffic when they don't have the right of way. Frankly, I am convinced that the same people who are inconsiderate drivers are the same ones that are inconsiderate walkers, stroller pushers, bike riders and sidewalk pedestrians.

If I had my way, I would extend Metrorail to Miami Beach and pedestrianize some of Miami Beach's streets, much like Lincoln Road (at least at certain times, i.e. at night when people are hopping from clubs to bars, back to their hotels).

Miami Beach would also benefit greatly from a people mover system, much like the MetroMover that serves Downtown Miami.

[HopToIt]

Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl

I live in South Beach and take partial exception to this generalization. As a resident and pedestrian, I can tell you that the drivers in South Beach also have responsibility for the mess.

1. Almost nobody stops their cars fully at stop lights or stop signs
2. Cars almost never yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks or crosswalks at traffic signals. So, what might seem like pedestrians jumping in front of cars can be interpretted two ways
3. South Beach is South Florida's most pedestrian neighborhood. Cars travelling the area are often well in excess of the speed limits. This is a bad formula.
4. Cars travel the wrong way down alleys, exit out of "entrance only" areas and cut across sidewalks with pedestrians on them instead of giving them to right of way.

Now, that said, I agree that pedestrians have issues too. I see folks especially on Lincoln, just push strollers or walk across traffic when they don't have the right of way. Frankly, I am convinced that the same people who are inconsiderate drivers are the same ones that are inconsiderate walkers, stroller pushers, bike riders and sidewalk pedestrians.

1. People dont even come to a complete stop at a light?
2. Are they that rude, or just that ignorant?
3. Doesnt suprise me that they dont obery the speed limit.
4. That's truly pathetic. Do they need to make the signs in Spanish or Creole or something for the law to be obeyed? (Maybe already are). I thought signals, and "exit" and "entrance" were pretty universal, I guess not.

[Cougar Beach]

> 2. Are they that rude, or just that ignorant?

Both. As people have stopped stopping for pedestrians, people new to the area, who are not familiar with American driving laws, don't learn what to do. I'd be surprised, though, if it's legal anywhere to barrel through a marked crosswalk (or what purpose would it serve?), although I'm sure it's tolerated in a lot of places, as it is now around here. On multiple occasions I've seen cops drive right by pedestrians in crosswalks, on Alton Road. There are signs up just before a lot of the crosswalks telling drivers where to stop, and the penalty for not stopping, but they might as well be invisible.

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by Cougar Beach

Are Latins and American Southerners hot heads? (Hint: the assault/battery rate was bad here even in the 60's.)

Where did that come from? We are talking about drivers and people's bad driving habits in Miami, not crime statistics from the 1960's.

As I have said before, many of Miami's drivers obtained their licenses from chaotic third world countries, and many women who could not drive in these countries learn to drive in Miami in their 30's and 40's. Add to this mayhem the Ferrari's, Porsche's, and Lexus's roaring around Miami's streets, many times by egotistical third world immigrants thinking they own the world, and you have a deadly tonic.