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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
 
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Sorry if us "pestrians" get in your way. Next time just run us right over, that way you can get home 2 minutes earlier.
By the way, I love your little sniglet. Did you come up with that all on your own or did Rich Hall pitch in?
Posted on: 2008/5/22 14:23
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Not too shy to talk
 
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I meant the folks who stop when there is no stop sign. Or they stop for the "Yield to pestrian" when there is no pestrian to yield to. (pestrian: Pest + pedestrian) 
Posted on: 2008/5/22 14:15
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
Joined:
2004/2/6 23:13 Last Login : 2021/7/30 1:08 From Jersey City
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how many of you attended the public meeting this past Tuesday for the city circulation study - http://www.jerseycitymobility2050.com/
this was an opportunity to contribute to improving the situation. what I did come away with after talking with some of our planning staff, was that not only have they seen the film Congrested Streets, but the Dept of Engineering also has and is now incorporating European standards into crosswalk design. with the city staff getting on board to utilize best practices, it is up to us, the public to put the political pressure on elected officials to adopt their recommendations, it is the politics that is most resistant to change and only the public can change that. fyi - UK crosswalk design - also addresses parking at corners 
Posted on: 2008/5/22 14:00
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
Joined:
2007/2/3 21:36 Last Login : 2020/4/18 19:17 From Way Downtown
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uh, the STOP sign at said crosswalk would probably be a good reason to, I dunno....stop? whether or not there are pedestrians present.
it's not exactly "making up the rules," it's following them.
Posted on: 2008/5/22 13:20
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Not too shy to talk
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I *hope* you're not the person that stops at the crosswalk when there's nobody crossing. Although I wouldn't drive around someone in this situation, you can be sure I'd hit the horn and probably give an "unnecessary vulgar hand gesture." I see this all the time. Drivers who make up their own rules of the road. It's dangerous for other drivers when someone does the unexpected.
Posted on: 2008/5/22 11:55
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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Sinik, I know your heart is in the right place with what you say, but I think you have an overly idealistic expectation from drivers. My comments refer the real world of how even good drivers act, never mind the bad ones thread is about. There are distractions in and outside the car, and betting your life that the driver is unnaturally focused like a laser is a bad idea IMHO.
And I look at my speedometer frequently to make sure I stay under the 25mph limit. Sometimes when you're in a rush (as it seems we always are) your foot can get a mind of it's own if not watched carefully. Speeders clearly don't give a damn what the speedometer says. I've gotten 3 speeding tickets in 30 years of driving, last was decade ago. My only violation since then was getting pulled over in NYC for not being buckled! Now THERE was a cop who should have been finding badguys instead of taking advantage of heavy traffic to pick the low hanging fruit.
Posted on: 2008/5/22 3:50
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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BTW I got rid of my car last year but still hire one about once a week
Posted on: 2008/5/22 3:29
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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You're the one that's driving a car and likely to kill/maim, not the person that is in the street. It doesnt matter how they got there or whether they had right of way when they stepped out. It's probably not going to be much consolation to you if you hit the child in the stroller that is being pushed by a careless parent, thinking "but I had right of way", especially if you were not being vigilant at the time.
Checking the speedo or mirrors only takes a fraction of a second. If you have to check your speedometer often while you are driving around downtown, you are probably going too fast anyway. And driving down one way streets in downtown, you shouldnt need to check your mirrors that frequently either. But tuning the radio, butt-watching and using a cell phone are all superfluous. Knowing that there are idiot pedestrians should make you more cautious of them not feel you need to get even with them however tempting that may be. Drive safely
Posted on: 2008/5/22 3:27
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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Are you saying that drivers can't take their eyes off the road for any reason due to the right of anyone to jump into the road at any moment regardless of circumstance or the vehicles right of way? I would suppose you don't actually drive if you have such a sanctimonious and unrealistic picture of what it's like behind the wheel. One looks at the clock, the speedometer, for the store you're trying to find, the mapquest directions in your hand, the mirrors, etc. And I leave out the big one for most other drivers that I see, the CELL PHONE!
Posted on: 2008/5/21 23:45
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Newbie
 
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It happens in downtown Jersey City too especially along Newark Avenue between Jersey Ave and Grove Street. These same hoodlums and aggressive drivers simply ignore traffic lights, stop signs and crosswalks. I have to wonder how they passed their driver's (i.e., written and road) test.
I, too, have stopped at cross walks only to have the car behind me blow its horn or receive unwelcomed and unnecessary vulgar hand jestures. And one of the cars simply went around me because the driver could not wait. I am under the impression that the speed limit, inner city, is 25 mph. The jitny buses, metro buses and other drivers exceed this limit by a long shot. Any idea why the speed limit isn't enforced on Newark Avenue? Suggested Solutions I came from Boston and the police would place the "Pedestrian's have the right of way" signage in the middle of the road. Perhaps Jersey City Police should place the signage in the middle of the road too. In addition to the signage, the police should also regulate the would be offenders who do not stop at the crosswalks or stop signs. If the Shoe Fits The same can be said for the would be pedestrian offenders. Listen up: If the signal is red, you don't walk. Period. If the signal is green, you have the right of way. Enough said.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 23:01
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Just can't stay away
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Oops. I think I misspoke. I did not mean to imply that my hubby is one of these people who just walk out into the middle of the street without having the proper right of way?.I was trying to relate to the original poster who mentioned being brash in response to speeders who don?t give pedestrians the proper right of way.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 22:09
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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It's comforting to know there are people like you driving around our streets. Tuning your radio or checking out someone's butt is not going to be much of an excuse when you hit a child or animal.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 21:48
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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I'm glad I'm not the only one this happens to, I've seen people look up at the light to see it turn green for the traffic then step off the curb and try to cross the street, I don't wait for these people to cross, they can run across the street if they want but I won't slow down. It's worse in Hoboken where many pedestrians feel they own the streets no matter what the traffic signals say.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 21:28
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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Not to imply that your husband flouted any laws, but I'm always amazed at the people who brazenly step off the curb in front of my car when I clearly have right of way, like a green light or middle of the block. They're betting their lives that I'm paying attention at that second, not tuning the radio or checking out a nice butt. I've had mothers push strollers in front of me against the light! I once had someone flip me off for beeping him after he stopped dead in the crosswalk to think about something. And then there's those who stroll slowly catty corner across an intersection, or cross a street in the middle of the block on a long angle so they obstruct the street as long as possible. I try my best to give pedestrians their right of way when it's their turn, but it's hopeless to expect the same given our "confrontation is cool" culture.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 21:11
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Home away from home
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Not to mention that when someone is hit by a car, even when the driver is drunk, sentences are very lenient.
Shock and Outrage
Posted on: 2008/5/21 19:32
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Just can't stay away
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You are absolutely right not to be brash...It's absurd that these drivers continually get away with this. But, every once in a while, they'll hit a kid and finally learn their lesson....too late. Growing up here, I can name countless friends who have been hit...including my sister. My husband, having the same attitude about cars, that they should stop so I will just walk, changed his tune after years and years of me yelling at him after being hit in City...Hit and run...Nice getting call from the NYPD telling you how your husband's in the hospital after a hit-and-run, and "he's pretty bad". "He's the luckiest man on earth to be alive" is what the nurse told me when I arrived. But, you can bet he stopped testing speeding cars
Posted on: 2008/5/21 17:42
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Newbie
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I think that throwing a tennis ball or any object at speeding car is an asinine idea.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 15:11
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
Joined:
2005/7/13 15:03 Last Login : 2023/6/11 23:48 From Western Slope
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Car insurance is the most expensive in the state of New Jersey. Apparently some have money and driving reputations to burn.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 13:58
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Just can't stay away
Joined:
2004/12/12 23:31 Last Login : 2015/12/3 0:37 From Paulus Hook
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Absolutely right. Some people may react by panicking and swerving to avoid the ball. (And in reality the post seemed like nothing more than a silly revenge fantasy). I long ago gave up getting angry w/drivers who blow through crosswalks. Even the NJ Transit bus drivers - who are supposed to be professionals - angrily blare their horns when someone has the audacity to step into their path to use a crosswalk. I was recently in the suburban town of Roseland and noted they have big YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS signs in the middle of the street wherever there are crosswalks, which seem to work really well.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 13:42
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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Throwing a tennis ball in front of a car because you perceive it to be speeding is irresponsible and reckless. Your actions could cause a great deal more harm than "teaching a lesson" to a driver. Call the cops and let them handle the speeders.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 13:35
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Home away from home
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Isn't that the police? Or at least have one of those stupid carts that spend all day chasing cars away from the taxi lane at Grove st stationed at the problematic intersections.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 13:34
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Just can't stay away
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what I like to do is keep a tennis ball with me and when I see a car speeding down a crowded street is bounce the tennis ball out from between 2 cars hopefully giving the person driving a scare that some kids are going to pop out chasing after it.....although that really only works after school is out.
You should go to a local neighborhood meeting and press the neighborhood association to get after the police. We did this up in the heights last summer because people were blowign through a stop sign heading into a park. Within a couple of weeks, we had several police officers there pulling people over and writing tickets and warnings. At times they had as many as 10 cars pulled over at once. It was so successful that the beat cops now do this proactively in the park.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 10:37
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Just can't stay away
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Be careful with your advice about throwing pennies. The same drivers that blow through stop signs and cross walks are the same drivers who would love to stop, after having something thrown at them, and either shoot you or beat you to near death....
Posted on: 2008/5/21 10:30
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Just can't stay away
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If only there was some sort of agency that could be put in charge of enforcing the traffic laws in the area..
But seriously, it sounds like you don't carry enough spare change with you. A couple of well-thrown pennies will get anybody to stop.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 6:57
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Re: Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Quite a regular
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You are not making a big deal at all. It really gets me that so many people do not come to a FULL StOP or follow other common rules of driving.
And you know what, I even get people who get ticked off at me for making a full stop. I have had people honk, curse and just go around me....I literally have to hold my tongue from wishing them ill will. I just really don't know what can be done about it.
Posted on: 2008/5/21 4:20
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Maniac drivers who speed through crosswalks (and stop signs)
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Newbie
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I'm sure this has likely come up before, but it's something that especially irks me...
I live in the Hamilton Park area, and I walk home from the PATH usually between 10pm and midnight. As I walk up Erie, cars routinely go down those side streets at execessive speeds and blaze through the crosswalks at the stop signs. I guess I am putting this out as somewhat of a disclaimer. I used to try to be brash out of stupidity and just cross the street, almost daring the oncoming driver to stop at the crosswalk. Two months ago, my sister was walking and was hit by a car (albeit not in Jersey City), resulting in her tearing two major knee ligaments. So now, I stop at each crossing and let the asshole pass through. Then I cross. Better safe than sorry, right?
Posted on: 2008/5/21 4:00
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