Curious Pedestrian Behaviors

[thatwasjen]

My street has a fairly high volume of foot traffic (but not much vehicular traffic). I live about 3 blocks from a Metro station, and many people pass in front of my house on their way to or from the Metro. People even park their cars in my neighborhood all day and use the Metro for part of their daily commute (there's no residential permit required

Comments

[pyratelady]

They're lazy, lazy, lazy. It's too much trouble to step up to the curb and walk to where the crosswalks cross the street. I see that kind of behavior all the freaking time and that's the best answer I can come up with. I'm amazed that people actually walk at all, but until we get moving sidewalks they still have to walk.

[mazzie]

rule #1. People are stupid.
rule #2. See rule #1

[thatwasjen]

After snow, I could totally understand it. But most of the time, it just doesn't make sense. I don't think safety is a likely excuse -- the sidewalk is better lit than the street, since most people have their porch lights on.

[skivee]

I'm thinkin' that the answer is a combination of PyrateLady's and Mazzie's answers....but in what exact percentages?????
Give me some grant money and I will study the problem.

[dawntreader90]

i have no idea. in our development, we see the same thing. dog-walkers, people with children, people with BABY CARRIAGES... they are in the streets, walking AROUND parked cars and into traffic, when there is a perfectly good sidewalk there.

one time, there wasn't enough room for our car and the oncoming car to go around the grandmother and her double-wide baby carriage and the parked car. WE had to wait for the oncoming car to pass before we could go. did the crazy lady even look up or notice or perhaps think to herself, "wow, i could be endangering myself and these kids by walking them in the middle of traffic. perhaps i should use this absolutely empty and pristine sidewalk over there." ... no. she never even blinked.

the only thing i can think of is they are afraid of stepping on a crack or something. or maybe they are ON crack and thus, fail to notice the sidewalk at all.

it's utterly bizarre.