Voice Post

[rachg82]

*edited to add: in addition to my answer above, regarding my biggest West Coast gripe? I actually have a much bigger one, and I can't believe I almost forgot to mention it: drivers here DO NOT pay attention to what they are doing, and they do not respect pedestrians/bicyclists. It's especially strange here in Portland, considering how bike-friendly we are + the excellent standards of our public transportation system. You'd think drivers would get used to people without cars, and yet? No. They are laid-back, in their own world, & dangerous. I was nearly hit two times in the last week alone (the second time was just now, actually, hence the editing! Ha)--at crosswalks while the signs said "walk", mind you. (…yeah) Jen actually DID get hit by a car when she lived here, in that exact same scenario. So, yes, if any of you ever travel out here, do not try to act like they do in New York. You should only jaywalk (if you're smart) in *very specific* cases (downtown Portland is a fairly common place for it, for instance, but the cars will still try to hit you a good deal of the time), and even then you'd better be watchin' your ass. Heh.

Comments

[crystalcazzie.livejournal.com]

I've nearly been hit by drivers and cyclists who don't seem to understand that red means stop at the pedestrian crossing in my town. (And they don't even have the excuse of weird road laws that let you turn on red lights. In the UK red always means stop. And now I'm getting angry thinking about Booth's behaviour in the UK episode of Bones. Ooh, he pissed me off so much there.)

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

I had to actually hold up my hand all "no, you WILL stop" & just GO last night, like "Fine, you wanna hit me? Be my guest. Enjoy paying for my hospital bills. IT'S A RED LIGHT. THE SIGN SAYS WALK. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, BITCH."