Open season on Pedestrians

kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 29, 2005, 06:52:

If you think Colombia is bad stay away from Rome then, even the little green man at the trafic ligh haven't got time to change. I think I broke in Rome the record in the 100 mtr run .

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Miguel says on Nov 29, 2005, 07:05:

Es lo mismo Aquí en St.Louis, Missouri EEUU.
Amarillo quiere decir..."Gun It!"

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Rubiazo says on Nov 29, 2005, 08:29:

I actually like t he traffic patterns in Bogota There's no fucking around down there. You have to go where you're going OR ELSE.

I'm sick of shitty slow drivers blocking traffic, not knowing where they are going, and taking forever to make turns up here. Most of the rest of the world does not have this problem, just areas where there is a way higher % of people driving than their reflexes should allow!

It took me all of 2 days in Bogota to learn that my NYC habit of jaywalking would probably cost me my life if I kept it up :P Best if someone is a real slow walker is wait until you have a NEW green light, most of the signals there are the same as up here. If you see the green light is really mature and about to change, don't even start crossing!

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 29, 2005, 09:17:

LOL GIB, I sweat everytime I was going to cross the road in Rome, if you could see the faces of the drives, my God you felt like Deer ready to be attack by a pack of wolf.

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 29, 2005, 09:27:

lol, yep I commented that to my husband too, I said how they could take the car out, the park so close even that damm scooters, I never took the bus, but took a taxy and the taxi driver started to race with another one, I though I was going to die, taxi drivers are mad there real MAD. at the end we decide to walk everywhere eso si camine más que un secuestrado :(

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Gator says on Nov 29, 2005, 09:30:

In Colombia There Is... only the quick and the dead.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 29, 2005, 09:37:

80!! euros they charge us fro 80!!Euros they charged us from the airport to the center of Rome

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Mr. Hollywood says on Nov 29, 2005, 10:44:

Lowell Look at it this way, they don't give a damn about pregnant women, people in wheelchairs, old folks, toddlers sucking their thumbs, or anything. In many other countries, pedestrians have the right of way. In Bogota, might makes right. This may or may not go a long way toward explaining some of Colombia's other problems.

I disagree about the driving in Rome. They're maniacs there but if an little old lady with a cane steps into a road, everything screeches to a halt. In Bogota, she's just flattened to the asphalt or forced to "run".

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TACTICAL says on Nov 29, 2005, 12:39:

Red, Yellow, Green A RED light only means SLOW DOWN as you go through the intersection, yellow means go normal speed and green means haul ass.

Sad but true, traffic laws here are non exhistant, I'm sure they look great on paper as far as the govt is concerned, but enforcement doesn;t exhist.

On the bright side, if ya do get hit and killed, die happy, knowing Colombian law places the driver of the car, truck or motorcycle at fault. Doesn;t mean the govt will do much, but at least you will die knowing it technically wasn;t your fault.

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Rubiazo says on Nov 29, 2005, 13:49:

The GOOD THING about drivers down there is that you always know beforehand how they are going to react and where they are going. You don't see confused idiots turning left and all of a sudden realizing they were supposed to turn right.

You guys are totally killing any desire I ever had to see Italy! Imagine, you could accidentally impregnate someone just from taking the bus there :P

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 29, 2005, 14:02:

I don't know about the bus Rubiazo, but if you want to cross the road there I would recomend you start training now :)
you maybe break my record

Mr Hollywood I never saw an old little lady crossing the road, I wonder why :(
maybe that old little ladies are champions in the 50 mtrs run

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Rubiazo says on Nov 29, 2005, 14:13:

When GIB gets on the bus in Bogota He has to duck way down. When I get on the bus there, I have to duck down AND suck my gut in at the same time :)))))))))

I'm probably gonna give Roma a pass anyways. I don't see anything specifically calling me there :P

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rocinante says on Nov 29, 2005, 20:44:

Mr Wood "Look at it this way, they don't give a damn about pregnant women, people in wheelchairs, old folks, toddlers sucking their thumbs, or anything. In many other countries, pedestrians have the right of way. In Bogota, might makes right."

Don't forget the Colombian laws generally don't help pedestrians. For instance Colombia is the only country in South America where it's legal to make a right turn on gringo.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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Rubiazo says on Nov 29, 2005, 21:07:

I don't think pedestrians should have the right of way I jaywalk all the time, but frankly, if you are crossing against the light and get creamed, FUCK YA! If you can't do it and not get killed wait for the damn light to change! You should have the right of way when the light SAYS you have the right of way, not at any given time you decide to stagger onto the road!

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viajera75 says on Nov 30, 2005, 04:31:

The worst time I ever had crossing the street was in Vietnam. There seem to be no traffic laws there, and crossing is nearly impossible because the traffic comes at you from all directions and never lets up.

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kernow62 says on Nov 30, 2005, 05:37:

I almost killed a pedestrian yesterday, what a coincidence.

I had just finished reading this thread and was driving to work on damp roads. I was going perhaps a wee bit fast 40 in a 30 zone when not more than 2 car lengths in front of me a little indio woman hardly taller than the shopping cart she was pushing darted from between huge SUVs right into my path. I didn't have time to blow the horn as the horn button fell off some years ago and is now held on with velcro somewhere by the shifter. I jammed on the brakes and launched the car to the kerb and the little woman just froze, luckily my squealing tyres alerted her and she stopped, otherwise I would have at least killed her groceries.

I thought about yelling obcenities at her, but under the circumstances that would have been rude. After all she probably just shit her pants. So I settled on just giving her the finger.

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flaleo says on Nov 30, 2005, 16:35:

I hate pedestrians that initiate their crossing of the street such that they can't clear the intersection during their green light. IMO one shouldn't start crossing if one can't complete it in time - wait for the next cycle.

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thur says on Dec 5, 2005, 02:30:

Hmz... The cars stopped at traffic lights and I was able to cross the street safely. Especially when going in or out of a Transmilenio busstop, crossing Cra. 7 and while walking in ehh... 'Entre Rios'. We had no problem with cars not stopping before a red light an letting us cross.
On a car vs. car basis it seems more tricky while driving in the neighbourhoods. I asked whether "right has the way" and I was replied with "it depends on how big your car is". And imptient drivers already start honking as soon as the light hits yellow.
Greetings,

- pbase.com/thur

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