Comments on: Hard lessons.

By: Randy

Randy — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 16:37:55 +0000

Ashley said this better than I will, but when a pedestrian just steps off the curb with nor regard for the traffic coming at them, my reaction is “yes, I’ll be found at fault, but you’ll be found dead”…

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 15:36:49 +0000

One thing to remember about RI is that most natives have only one, at most two, degrees of separation from someone at the DMV who can get their requested plates. No need to check obits.

Back at the paper I worked at there, we had a saying that all native RIers at some point in their lives benefited from their nativeness.

Oh and the only place I know where cars regularly stop if someone steps into the crosswalk is hippy-dippy (in a good way) Northhampton, Mass.

Michelle

By: John Ritter

John Ritter — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 14:46:08 +0000

Just a follow up about the 1994 crossbow incident. It was actually two Mass drivers involved and the crime was committed on I-95 in Mass, but the road rage/chase started in Rhode Island.

By: michael golden

michael golden — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 14:21:52 +0000

Life must be good in Rhode Island. Thanks.

By: Howard

Howard — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 03:06:02 +0000

Years ago my wife and I vacationed in Canada and one of the many striking differences we observed between Toronto and Montreal was that in the former, drivers seemed to read pedestrians’ thoughts. If a pedestrian contempled crossing the street in the middle of the block, cars would stop and wait for her/him to pass. In Montreal, however, if a pedestrian ventured into the street, crosswalk or not, the nearest vehicle would execute a brushback move by veering toward the pedestrian.

Of course here in Columbus it used to be common to see Columbus’ Finest issue jaywalking citations to pedestrians who dared to allow their foot to drop into the crosswalk as the DO NOT WALK light began to flash.

By: John Ritter

John Ritter — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 02:58:44 +0000

Rhode Island De-Mystified

Rhode Island has had vanity plates for 30+ years now in the form of the owner’s two initials, a dash, and a number (i.e. our Nancy’s plate might read NN-432). The object of my neighbors to the east, is to get a low number plate for their initials (3 digits are better than 4, 2 digits better than 3), primarily for bragging rights (as if they had anything else to crow about). When renewing plates, they always inquire if a lower number is available. I don’t think that obit scanning done for this purpose as it is used in NYC for apartment hunting, but there is quite a bit of pride involved in this statewide (50 miles?) obsession. There was a road rage incident in the 90s involving a crossbow, but it wasn’t over a low number.

By: michael golden

michael golden — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 02:01:22 +0000

How could there be anything but low numbered plates in Rhode Islane?

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 11 Nov 2003 19:24:23 +0000

Nancy, the driver in this instance is pretty much guiltless, I think, judging only on what we know. And legally the school probably is scot-free, as is of course the state. But this sort of accident is rendered more likely by the crossing’s lack of safety devices. Even in the absence of a controlling legal authority, well–there outta be a law.

I could rant about America’s love affair with the automobile, but I won’t, because it’s pointless and you’ve heard it all before.

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 11 Nov 2003 16:09:11 +0000

John, I’ll admit that in Massachusetts, all my travel was rural. The biggest town I drove in was Stockbridge. I’ve heard frightening things about Boston drivers, and hope to never drive there. I’d like to visit, but if I do, I’ll take the train there and then use cabs, transit, and feet.

Bicycling around Burlington, Vermont, the only impatient, belligerent driver I encountered was driving a black Lexus with NY plates.

Same goes for New York state. I meandered a lot of countryside, and found it all amenable to civility. Everything went to hell, though, in cities like Rochester, where I thought the drivers were even more aggressive than in Fort Wayne. And New York City cabbies — some of them are terrifying even when you’re inside the cab.

My experience in Canada was similar to Elaine’s; in a small town outside Calgary, Alberta, I set out for the Dairy Queen across a busy highway from my motel. As I approached the crosswalk, all traffic came to a halt. It took me completely by surprise. I’m sure the drivers knew by my hesitation and by the startled, bewildered look on my face that I was a Yank.

By: Nance

Nance — Tue, 11 Nov 2003 16:00:28 +0000

Good comments, all. It’s generally assumed that drivers are the bad guys in this, but pedestrians have a responsibility, too. I don’t know why these two women doubled back into the path of this truck, but to me it tends to excuse the driver, who probably found them nearly invisible at that hour, in an underlit intersection, dressed the way they were. I crawl when I drive near campus, and yet still pedestrians step right out in front of me. It’s maddening. The worst is at a busy three-way intersection at the heart of the town/gown district. Everyone gets a turn, but you have to wait for your turn. I can’t tell you how often I’ve suppressed the urge to scream “THE RED HAND MEANS DON’T WALK” out the window at some jaywalking scofflaw.