I don't know what it is about the mindset of drivers in Hawaii. They don't stop for pedestrians much anymore. Times have changed. There's not a lot of aloha when people are in a rush on this tiny, traffic snarled island of Oahu.
When I saw this on King Street the other day I was surprised. The bright flashing lights really caught your eye. It dared you not to stop.
On the other hand I've seen quite a number of people cross right in front of us in a parking lot and other places without even looking, totally oblivious to their surroundings. They just assume everybody will stop for them. I guess you combine those two elements of human nature and you end up with too many sad pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
Art bought me a neon chartreuse yellow sweater for our trips to the early morning farmers markets. It's good to make yourself, visible. Before we cross the street we try to catch the driver's eyes, just to make sure they're paying atteniton.
Be warned. If you come to Hawaii, remember what your parents and teachers said about looking both ways before you cross a street. I just want you to be safe.
When I saw this on King Street the other day I was surprised. The bright flashing lights really caught your eye. It dared you not to stop.
On the other hand I've seen quite a number of people cross right in front of us in a parking lot and other places without even looking, totally oblivious to their surroundings. They just assume everybody will stop for them. I guess you combine those two elements of human nature and you end up with too many sad pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
Art bought me a neon chartreuse yellow sweater for our trips to the early morning farmers markets. It's good to make yourself, visible. Before we cross the street we try to catch the driver's eyes, just to make sure they're paying atteniton.
Be warned. If you come to Hawaii, remember what your parents and teachers said about looking both ways before you cross a street. I just want you to be safe.
Wow! That looks like 5 lanes, all one-way, where the drivers are to stop for pedestrians! I think most pedestrian crossings on the mainland are just for 1 or 2 lanes. I think there are too many WIDE one-way streets in Honolulu. It was frustrating the one time I rented a car there; never again. Maybe I'll add a bright yellow highway worker jacket on my next trip! DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteI am still too gutless to drive in Hawaii.
DeleteMakes me appreciate tiny town Arkansas. Speed limit is 25 thru town and traffic stops in both directions if there is a pedestrian indicating they wish to cross the road. We are a tourist town and we treat foot traffic like royalty.
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK there are plenty of pedestrian crossings in towns, but people still cross wherever they want. It's fine if they watch what they're doing, but it really irritates me when people expect me to save their life for them by being the only one taking care. Out in the countryside though you just have to take care and look both ways several times.
ReplyDeleteIn Washington state I am impressed at how often people will stop to allow pedestrians cross, even if it's not at a crosswalk. Of course it's the law, but that never stopped anybody in Colorado! Some drivers get a little testy if you don't use the crosswalks, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteNot using the pedestrian crossing is called jaywalking and it is supposed to be against the law. Isn't that true everywhere in the U.S.? Doesn't sound like even using the crosswalks is safe in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteI remember in London it said look right as you are used to looking for traffic on the other side of the road...lol! It's not safe anywhere in or out of a car anymore.
ReplyDeleteWE have those crosswalks with the flashing light here also but I still don't really trust people to stop....people are just too distracted when they drive these days.
ReplyDeleteThere must have been an accident there. Yes, I'm really cautious now about both walkers and parking lot folks.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just Hawaii, Kay. Neither drivers nor walkers appear to look any more. I catch a driver's eye before stepping out. Those neon jackets the road worker's use sound mighty good.
ReplyDeleteGood to be forewarned!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay! It's like that here in Toronto too...so many people and everyone's so busy. It's a big city problem.
ReplyDeleteSounds like one of those crossings at an outdoor market could be Diamond Head Avenue. I think of it because sometimes I take my dog to the Dog Park near there (next to the Red Cross building) and I am acutely aware of the dangers of crossing. Sometimes I have to wait quite a while for the traffic to clear. I prefer to cross when there is no car in sight.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the right-hand-turn at a red light is often a pedestrian accident waiting to happen if someone steps off into the crosswalk, which is their legal right. I love the new law telling us to stop when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk. I get a kick out of obeying it. Not sure why, except that I was impressed in England when people allowed me to cross and didn't seem to be fretting and fuming.
That new law is not working very well. Drivers are still not stopping. Tsk.
DeleteI'm always saying that you need to cross at a crosswalk, not the middle of the street. The police have started giving jaywalking tickets here. On the other hand, though, pedestrians always have the right of way, so it can be a double-edged sword.
ReplyDeleteMy husband always says the same things about pedestrians in Hawaii whenever someone crosses without looking. Sometimes I find myself making that mistake, especially in a parking lot. I try not to get so distracted that I forget myself. Often I notice women are guilty of not looking.
ReplyDeleteGood tip about wearing bright colors. especially at night.
L...w
If you'd like to get one too, I got the chartreuse hoodie at Old Navy in Wailkele.
DeleteI did not know that about Hawaii, so I checked and found out the five US states with the most pedestrian fatalities – 1 – Florida, 2 – Delaware, 3 – Arizona, 4 – South Carolina, 5 – Hawaii. So you see your state is not the worse. I also found out the most dangerous car to drive is… a Jeep Wrangler (the most fatalities.) But I tell you where I was petrified to cross an avenue, and that was in Bangkok, Thailand – it is very scary there, and it took me forever. Also in Libreville, Gabon (West Africa.) There they told me if you get in an accident, if some car hits you, or hits your car, it will be your fault because they will say that you should not have been there, you should have been in your country…. then you would not have been hit (some logique!)
ReplyDeleteI thought the scariest place was Cairo, Egypt. The safest place was Canada. They were so polite there.
DeleteGood advice, Kay. Be careful. I think drivers everywhere are very distracted. One must always be aware when around distracted drivers.
ReplyDeleteWell, you will be prepared, then, for Israeli streets when you come, although we are not nearly as bad as Cairo.
ReplyDeleteKay, we need a photo of your glowing sweater.
Oops, never mind, I think I now see the sweater in your previous post.
DeleteFair warning! I shall be careful.
ReplyDelete