Scary moment last night (thankfully only observed)

**Bob** · 20th October 2004, 21:31

Pulled up at lights. Sitting there, when I watched the following scenario with heart in mouth.

An elderly Chinese lady with her grand-daughter (could even have been great-grand-daughter) started crossing the road on one of the other roads of the junction... when the crossing light went from green to red.

So rather than step back onto the pavement she had stepped from about a second earlier, she decides trying to run (a very old woman and a very small child) across the road. Straight in front of a car who, thankfully, managed to apply the brakes enough to avoid hitting them.

So what does she do next? Wave thanks at car driver and carry on running into the road, now giggling maniacally... into the path of the van coming the other way. I seriously think another six inches and the kid would have been hit. It was that close.

AND SHE KEPT RUNNING, GIGGLING ALL THE WAY!

I was SO relieved when they made it to the other pavement... and also relieved that my lights changed and I could ride away before she tried to wipe herself and the kid out on our lane.

Two incredibly near misses - which could have been avoided by taking ONE step backwards!

**scumdog** · 20th October 2004, 21:35

Darwins theory obviously hadn't worked on THAT lady, next time perhaps?

**dveus** · 20th October 2004, 21:38

Thats probably the one thing that annoys me the most out on the road, not the people being idiots trying to kill themselves but the stupid little smile and wave that follows. I would much rather they starting shouting and swearing at me for getting so close, far less annoying than the silly grin.

**Uncle B** · 20th October 2004, 21:44

Some folks you just can't help........wish she wouldn't include her grand-daughter with her playing chicken with the traffic.

**gav** · 20th October 2004, 22:51

Yeah, but how do such stupid people get to be so old?????

**カワサキキド** · 20th October 2004, 23:04

Darwin hadn't put social welfare into the equation when he worked out that theory.

**Mr Skid** · 20th October 2004, 23:52

Originally Posted by Bob

Pulled up at lights. Sitting there, when I watched the following scenario with heart in mouth.

An elderly Chinese lady with her grand-daughter (could even have been great-grand-daughter) started crossing the road on one of the other roads of the junction... when the crossing light went from green to red.

So rather than step back onto the pavement she had stepped from about a second earlier, she decides trying to run (a very old woman and a very small child) across the road. Straight in front of a car who, thankfully, managed to apply the brakes enough to avoid hitting them.

So what does she do next? Wave thanks at car driver and carry on running into the road, now giggling maniacally... into the path of the van coming the other way. I seriously think another six inches and the kid would have been hit. It was that close.

AND SHE KEPT RUNNING, GIGGLING ALL THE WAY!

I was SO relieved when they made it to the other pavement... and also relieved that my lights changed and I could ride away before she tried to wipe herself and the kid out on our lane.

Two incredibly near misses - which could have been avoided by taking ONE step backwards!

At the risk of appearing to be orally emanating from my posterior, I would wonder if this is a culture shock thing?

Who knows if she was a 5 generation brit, or a recent immigrant to the UK. Maybe the kid was her grandchild, and her son/daughter had brought her out there to reunite the family?

It sounds dumb sorta behavior to us, but I know from instance in Vietnam to cross the road you walk out into the traffic and walk across at a slow steady pace.

Due to economics and road rules (in a crash in Vietnam, the biggest vehicle is at fault, no questions asked) everybody gets around on scoots and motorbikes, and they'll ride around pedestrians.

Try this in the auckland cbd and you'll be flattened.

I've remember being in a small town somewhere on SH1 (whaikikamukau by memory) waiting to cross the road, and a bloke stopped his ute in the middle of the road to let me cross.

This had me befuddled, but illustrates the difference between my take no prisoners dorklander mentality, and one of the locals more laid back approach.

If that happened the other way around (whaikikamukau local in Auckland) the results might have been rather similar to this Chinese woman..

**badlieutenant** · 21st October 2004, 07:28

Paps's post reminded me of something a friend who recently returned from the states said of Santa Cruz. He mentioned that if you so much as look like you might think about crossing the road the trafic will slow and stop from both directions. Not near lights or crossings, just anywhere. He said it got so bad that (well....good) that his girlfriend and himself, who were shopping at the time, made a point not to look at the shops on the otherside. He also mention it was a really friendly city. Happy plug for the states.

**Devil** · 21st October 2004, 07:30

Fricken asian students around here have no road sense (from the pedestrian perspective). Most commonly the young females, crossing the road after the green walk light has gone out, then giggling their way across the road running with linked arms when the traffic turns up. STupid stupid stupid. They think its all a big joke.

As for them crossing the small one way streets in town off queen st, do you think they look? fuck no!

**Devil** · 21st October 2004, 07:49

Originally Posted by badlieutenant

Paps's post reminded me of something a friend who recently returned from the states said of Santa Cruz. He mentioned that if you so much as look like you might think about crossing the road the trafic will slow and stop from both directions. Not near lights or crossings, just anywhere. He said it got so bad that (well....good) that his girlfriend and himself, who were shopping at the time, made a point not to look at the shops on the otherside. He also mention it was a really friendly city. Happy plug for the states.

Yer some of the states have it in law that you must let pedestrians cross the road. Not just a courtesy thing.
It actually irritates me when people do it over here, I can find my own way across, and with this person slowing down, all the gaps in the traffic disappear. fuckers.

**Midnight 82** · 21st October 2004, 07:59

No brains I tell ya. She has no brains

Or she was on somthing????????

**Mr Skid** · 21st October 2004, 08:10

Originally Posted by Devil

Fricken asian students around here have no road sense (from the pedestrian perspective). Most commonly the young females, crossing the road after the green walk light has gone out, then giggling their way across the road running with linked arms when the traffic turns up. STupid stupid stupid. They think its all a big joke.

As for them crossing the small one way streets in town off queen st, do you think they look? fuck no!

My favorite is Alfred street, the one way street running through Auckland Uni.

Peds play chicken with the vehicles there, if they think your going slow enough to stop they'll walk out in front of you.

It's quite fun to coast down the road with the clutch in, then when someone walks in front of you to let the clutch out and gas it. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching them try try to run in heels. Sensible shoes anyone?

I think I'll have to get a tinted visor to increase my menace factor. Or work out how to wheelie down Alfred Street. Now that'd freak them.

**Madmax** · 21st October 2004, 08:37

Originally Posted by Devil

Fricken asian students around here have no road sense (from the pedestrian perspective). Most commonly the young females, crossing the road after the green walk light has gone out, then giggling their way across the road running with linked arms when the traffic turns up. STupid stupid stupid. They think its all a big joke.

As for them crossing the small one way streets in town off queen st, do you think they look? fuck no!

Mt albert is as bad due to unitech
one got cleaned up buy a car a while ago

**Posh Tourer :P** · 21st October 2004, 08:48

speaking of stupid (and quite scary) - observed at the bridge club carpark last night - the worthies of Remmers park so as not to get themselves boxed in.... which means that other people squeeze in behind them anyway and narrow down the accessways.... So, a guy in a merc, after having failed to find a park closer to the door, backs out.

Only to sideswipe the car of a guy who'd just got out. "I've got those parking sensors on it - god knows why they didnt go off, perhaps it was because I only grazed you". So the guy in the hit car (the hittee?) gets back in and tries to squeeze up a bit - and shunts the car infront of him :Wacko:

I tell ya - its a mad world out there....And these people are in it!!!

**Posh Tourer :P** · 21st October 2004, 08:50

Originally Posted by Devil

Fricken asian students around here have no road sense (from the pedestrian perspective). Most commonly the young females, crossing the road after the green walk light has gone out, then giggling their way across the road running with linked arms when the traffic turns up. STupid stupid stupid. They think its all a big joke.

As for them crossing the small one way streets in town off queen st, do you think they look? fuck no!

People laugh to release embarrassment - its a social coping mechanism brought on by an attempt to try and make the situation more comfortable. Unfortunately its just been taken a bit too far.......