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FOT Community => Links => Topic started by: yesno on August 02, 2008, 09:25:31 AM

Title: Lineuppers and Sidezoomers, Cheaters and Vigilantes
Post by: yesno on August 02, 2008, 09:25:31 AM
Yikes, sorry for two posts to the NY Times Magazine, but this one hit really close to home. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03traffic-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all

Impolite merging behavior bugs me.  Any time I go on a road trip I end up fuming about sidezoomers multiple times.  I'm your classic vigilante.*  There's basically nothing a cheater can do to make me open up a space for him to merge into.  I'd rather he hit my car.  My car's a plastic Saturn, son, go ahead and try it.  On the other hand, I always go out of my way to let legitimate mergers in.

* I'm also a pedestrian vigilante.  If it's my right of way as a pedestrian, I take it.  I don't care about the interests of cars, nor will I pause even a second to let even a single car through.  I go as close to the edge of getting hit as I can.  My technique is to not actually put myself in harm's way, but to only look for oncoming traffic from my peripheral vision.   Thinking I'll just walk into them, cars slow down more than if they see me being all cautious.  I know I irritate the kind of driver who thinks that pedestrians are obstacles.  Fuck them.  Pedestrian vigilante justice.
Title: Re: Lineuppers and Sidezoomers, Cheaters and Vigilantes
Post by: mokin on August 02, 2008, 05:56:04 PM
You're perfect for Portland. Pedestrians here are crazy about their rights.

I grew up in the Philly area, so I'm used to cars not caring about crosswalks and pedestrians fearing for their lives. I think the rule on the East Coast is: "Automobiles have the right of way, JERK."

Anyway, when I moved to Portland I was amazed at the pedestrians here. It's amazing. Sometimes there are obnoxious people who will try to jaywalk like they are perfectly within their rights, but usually it's just people at official and unofficial crosswalks asserting their rights. The drivers here are also very courteous. I barely ever hear honking horns.