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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I allus figgered the main idea was don't git yer sorry pedestrian butt killed. Makes jaywalking laws self enforcing.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Heard a discussion -- ages ago so don't ask -- that crossing at the corners of street is a bad idea ... far safer to cross in middle of a block where you can see cars coming. Thus elimination being struck down by someone making "a right turn on a red light."
It was pointed out dogs cross at mid-block where they have a view both ways ... of course that's country crossing, not city crossing.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289 |
In the 1950's, Baltimore hired a traffic engineer named Hanry Barnes from Denver to get the then-horrible traffic under control. One of his innovations was an aid to pedestrians. Once in every cycle of traffic lights, they went red in all directions for ca. 30 seconds, at which time pedestrians were free to cross in any direction, including diagonally. This became known as the Barnes Dance, and still goes on to this day at some downtown intersections. When he moved on to New York, I believe he introduced it there, but NY was a bigger and tougher job than he figured on, I suppose, as he died of a heart attack not too long after starting there.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
in Shibya-- a shopping center distict in downtown tokyo-- they do the same thing on a grand scale.. about 20 seconds before the signal change, they sound a horn-- and then again at 10 seconds.. and final a long toot starts -- and all the traffic stops-- where ever it is.. (drivers are supposed to try and clear the intersections, but if they don't they just stop!)-- and then starts the mad pedestrian dash-- every which way-- Shibya is a busy intersections, with several main streets crossing at odd angles, and it has a "memorial" on a island in the middle..
after a while, the is a warning horn- and 10 seconds later, an other, and finally, the last blast of the horn, and every body scrambles on to the sidewalk and the mad dash of cars starts again..
I thought it would work in some places in NY-- Times square comes to mind, and Herald square-- but NY has so many tourist-- it would be hard to "teach the rules"-- and i don't think NYers would give up jay walking anyway.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
In Singapore, pedestrians have right of way on zebra crossings, elsewhere motorists have right of way. If you cross the road within I think it's fifty metres of a zebra crossing, footbridge, or underpass you can be fined (and I gather this is enforced).
In Indonesia cross where you like. If there's more than one lane (loosely interpreted) of traffic go one lane at a time. Don't stop once you've started, it only confuses motorists. For added security, keeping your hands in normal walking position waggle the one nearest the oncoming traffic to signal that it should go round you. There don't seem to be any more accidents than there are elsewhere, but it is a nerve-racking procedure that I try to avoid.
Bingley
Bingley
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