Entered on 17 June 2004 at 8:39 a.m..
Stupid Pedestrians
Well there's not been much going on around here, so the journal's been kind of quiet lately. The most exciting thing that has happened so far in the past couple of days includes: me running on a treadmill for half a mile, throwing my hands up in frustration at 3D graphics, and almost purposefully running a pedestrian over this morning. The pedestrians are the most amusing of the three stories. Every morning and evening on my way to or from work I have to cross North Avenue. As parking on campus is so expensive, I am usually not alone (esp. in the evenings). However I have noticed that most of the pedestrians who cross with me are either un-observant, suicidal, or really stupid. Often it is a combination of all three. You see for some CRAZY reason the light at North Avenue will only give a pedestrian walk signal if someone pushes the button. This is absurd because the only difference between pushing the button and not pushing the buttong is the little walk light (the timing of the lights does not appear to be altered in any way).
Now back to the stupid pedestrians. I for one like to cross with the little walk light, because I feel that when I am run over (and it will happen eventually) I will be able to get at least $5 million more for that little light being on. However I am aware (because I cross this street twice a day) that I have a right to cross the street with traffic regardless of the stupid walk sign. Most of the pedestrians don't. Often the unobservant ones either wait (indefinitely for the walk sign), because they haven't realized the button-walk sign connection. Or they competely ignore the walk sign (which comes on after the turn arrow dissappears) and take their life into their own hands (these are often europeans from countries with very strict pedestrian protection laws), OR (and these are the one's that drive me nuts) they stand squarely in the middle of the handicaped ramp (which my bicycle and I use) and wait regardless of the walk sign for the traffic to yeild to them. I have begun shouting "GO,GO" to these unfortunate lot. For god's sake the traffic is never going to yeild to them, no matter what color the light is. You have to at least take a small step off of the sidewalk to let traffic know that you aren't just there to watch them drive by (like the guys down by the Varsity).
OK I hope you've all enjoyed that rant.