Suicidal pedestrians.

[jrandom]

old man... narrow-minded...

If I were Motu, being on the receiving end of this sort of ridiculous accusation would really upset me.

[Sniper]

Are these those raised section of road that conecting two footpaths across a road? if so, what exactly is their legal status, are they pedestian crossings or not?

Those are them. You are not obliged to stop at all unless you are feeling courteous.

[Ixion]

From the Road Code

11. Other road users
Pedestrians
Pedestrian crossings

If you are within 20 metres of a pedestrian crossing, you must use the crossing to cross the road.
Don't walk slowly on a pedestrian crossing.
You must not step out suddenly onto a pedestrian crossing if any vehicles are so close to the crossing that they cannot stop.

[placidfemme]

If I were Motu, being on the receiving end of this sort of ridiculous accusation would really upset me.

If your going to dish it out be prepared to take it too. If he can make unfounded assumptions in his posts so can I... isn't it great living in a free world?

[Beemer]

Not when they are crossing against the f**king lights, they haven't!

I didn't mean morons who cross against the lights, I meant pedestrians who have the right of way at crossings patrolled by traffic lights (like the ones along Rangitikei Street in Palmerston North) WHEN the lights have changed in their favour and the little green man is showing!

[jrandom]

If your going to dish it out be prepared to take it too.

[Ixion]

Get over it, dude. Go to mainland China, sit by a major road, and just watch for a while.

I recommend the fucking huge intersection in Zhangmutou with an open space the size of a soccer field, about eight large feeder streets, and no traffic flow control whatsoever.

It's nothing personal. Just a combination of a lack of education and a cutural obsession with fatalism.

Well, Shanghai had some big intersections. And a lot of traffic. And even more pedestrians (me being one of them).

It also had, at every intersection, little dudes in uniforms. Various uniforms, in different colours. Some with guns, some without. But they ALL had whistles. Which they blew, very loudly , at frequent intervals - a second or so. But all out of phase with each other. So at any moment, some uniformed dude would bewhistling. Usually, several dudes.

There were no crossings. The pedestrians just built up on the footpaths until there was a vast sea of humanity. Then suddenly, the dykes would burst and the human sea would surge irresistably in a great wave across the intersection.

Cars would stop: they had no choice. Frequently, they would be trapped amidst the tide of people, who would flow round the trapped vehicles.

Then , as suddenly, the flow would stop. The pedestrians would start to accumulate on the footpath again. The intersection would clear. The vehicles would resume their progress.

The sudden start and stop certainly had no connection with any of the numerous traffic lights. In fact the traffic lights did not actually appear to control ANYTHING. Their role appeared entirely decorative. "Oh, pretty. Flashing lights "

It is tempting to assume that it was in some way controlled by one, or more, of the whistling dudes. But I could see no correlation. While the pedestrians accumulated , the dudes whistled . When the dyke broke, the dudes whistled.They whistled while engulfed by the seething Chinese mass (me, a lonely Gwailho figure in the middle). They whistled when the tide stopped.

I don't think the whistling actually DID anything. I think it was just a role they played. "Here, oh glorious comrade of the Revolution, is a Peoples' Whistle. Go forth , and whistle"

I do not know what triggered the flood. Or the cease. Unscrutable folk.

But certainly Asian pedestrian customs have NO relevance to our crossings.

[jrandom]

suddenly, the dykes would burst...

Giggle.

Can I be the boy who puts his finger in the crack?

certainly Asian pedestrian customs have NO relevance to our crossings.

You speak troof.

[placidfemme]

Giggle.

Can I be the boy who puts his finger in the crack?

lol you've been talking to my gran havn't you?

[Joni]

Fish I think you should leave your finger out of this conversation

[jrandom]

I just gotta ask.

Does anyone else have a mental picture of placidfemme stepping out in front of a road train to an INXS soundtrack?

[Guitana]

I just gotta ask.

Does anyone else have a mental picture of placidfemme stepping out in front of a road train to an INXS soundtrack?

Do you mean suicide blonde?????

[Clockwork]

Those are them. You are not obliged to stop at all unless you are feeling courteous.

I suspected as much but I'm puzzled; if the authorities want a pedestrian crossing there, then why don't they put one there? Otherwise pedestrians will saunter out on to these pseudo crossings in the mistaken belief that they are protected by an invisible cloak of righteousness.

[jrandom]

... pedestrians will saunter out on to these pseudo crossings in the mistaken belief that they are protected by an invisible cloak of righteousness.

That, good sir, is why I always wear a highly visible cloak of righteousness.

Mine is pink, with yellow trimmings and little spangly bits in the collar area.

[Guitana]

That, good sir, is why I always wear a highly visible cloak of righteousness.

Mine is pink, with yellow trimmings and little spangly bits in the collar area.

Yeah mines bright blue and repels semi trailers with a flash of golden light!!!
Similar to Harry Potters cloak of invisability! Man you could get into some shit with that!!!