Lewes Forum thread

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Wandering pedestrian...

On 3 Jul 2014 at 6:08pm A Person wrote:

Earlier on this afternoon I found myself right in the middle of the junction of High St/Fisher St/Station St, having jammed on the brakes to avoid running over a young woman who strode straight across Fisher St without so much as a glance in the direction of traffic exiting Station St on a green light. I was going slowly because people are often idiotic at that junction, and I drive in anticipation of someone doing precisely that.

I hooted and stopped to swear at her as she ambled across the lights outside Flint. Not because I'm impatient, but because she alarmed me and might easily have been badly hurt by someone going a little faster.

So, to the person who shouted at me "be a little more patient", I say: don't shout at me for being alarmed by a stupid person, but instead remonstrate with her for strolling out in front of a ton of metal moving at 15 mph and thank your lucky stars that car wasn't going at the speed limit (or above)".

On 3 Jul 2014 at 6:59pm Squished & Narked wrote:

Person, I can't say because I wasn't there.. but:
The amount of times I've been nearly run down crossing the road at at the top of North St just outside the Police station is just ludicrous.. Most drivers don't seem to bother indicating left off Market St leaving it to down to chance when to cross.
Its a wonder nobody has been hurt (as yet) by a 'Ton plus of Metal' shooting towards them..

On 3 Jul 2014 at 7:25pm A Person wrote:

I couldn't agree with you more, S&N. I frequently stop for pedestrians at the bottom of White Hill where it turns into Market Street - it's safe to do that there, because traffic behind me has plenty of time to see what's happening and stop, and there's nowhere for an impatient idiot to scream past either.

My point is really that we all - pedestrians and drivers - have a responsibility for how we use the roads. In Lewes it's made considerably harder because there are virtually no safe crossing places, but please, as a pedestrian, choose the moment to launch yourself into the stream of traffic! When the lights are green at the top of Station St is not the time to amble off the pavement opposite without looking I'd suggest. There's traffic coming quickly up the hill who can't see why the car in front has slammed on the brakes, and they're probably also worrying about other things, such as whether one of the illegally parked vans outside the Royal Oak is going to fling open its doors or someone on the absurdly narrow and uneven pavement is going to miss their footing. I didn't *want* to run her over, and luckily because I drive defensively I didn't; she might not be so lucky next time.