At least the first guy didn’t flip you off and cuss that you were in the way. Only being cussed out for crossing the street in a crosswalk 1/2 is a win… 😑

Edit: if it’s only one car and me at an intersection, I let them go first now. No point in playing chicken, even if we’re doing everything right as pedestrians.

I almost got hit by a secret service cop speeding down Connecticut yesterday morning. It was like 10 seconds after the light turned red, I was in the middle of the road, and he didn’t have turn his siren on until afterwards. The police do not care about pedestrian safety here, so I think you’re out of luck. Even if they fined the driver they wouldn’t enforce the fine anyway.

*brakes

Same. I assume all drivers are idiots.

I saw someone get hit while crossing the crosswalk by an SUV running a stop sign on 2nd and I St. SE a few weeks ago. I couldn't find anything in the news about it but the guy did not look okay. The cops were on the scene quickly thankfully. Shit was fucked up. Definitely has me waiting for cars to come to a complete stop before I cross now.

my stop sign incident was a car going a different direction! he turned into me

I saw someone this afternoon southbound on 14th slow down for a red light, it had just changed, and then gun it through the red just as cars and people had begun inching out. There was a bus and red light a few hundred feet away at the next intersection.

A good reason to really read about who you are voting for

Any recs on candidates who are better on traffic / public safety?

Crazy. I bet they didn't signal either.

Correct! Insane, right? He was moving opposite direction to me on the same street and made a left turn while only looking right, with no signal. Who does that??

I have also almost been hit by a secret service cop. They ran a red light, and if I didn't jump out of the way, they 100% would have hit me.

Driving in downtown Bethesda this afternoon. I stop for a red light. SUV in the left lane guns it and blows through the red.. he was multiple car lengths behind me.. must have been red for 6-8seconds. I caught up to him at the intersection three down from there.

People are ridiculous.

Yea lots of shit drivers in any city (which seems opposite of what you’d expect). Assume cars never see you and don’t rely on them watching for a red light or stop sign. Still look both ways, make eye contact with the driver, etc.

I would utilize the ggwash recommendation tool found here:https://ggwash.org/view/86803/this-interactive-tool-lets-you-explore-and-candidates-views-on-housing-transportation-and-land-use

It breaks down each response for how they stand on transportation related issues. At the bottom are a few key questions about driving , parking, pedestrians and cycling. Those candidates with the strongest approaches towards vision zero and pedestrians/cycling priorities would be your better bets for who to vote for.

That's DC for you. And this is what happens when public officials don't enforce the laws because they're afraid of bad optics.

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I wonder why the Post doesn't bother writing any stories about how dangerous DC streets are to pedestrians and how both the police and the politicians DGAF in the least. Politicians like Janeese Lewis George talk a good game but then the next day they're making it easier for dangerous DC drivers to renew their drivers licenses for "equity" reasons.

It's disgusting and I vote against every politician who caters to drivers.

I have a balcony that overlooks a couple intersections with traffic lights. I think if I sat there with a clipboard I’d find that more people disobey the rules than follow them. Heading straight from a turn lane, turning left even though it’s not allowed, turning right when the right arrow is red, entering the intersection when there’s a traffic backup ahead so you can’t clear it… I mean, the list goes on and on.

And, of course, cops are some of the worst offenders. I’ll give them a pass if they’ve got their sirens on, but just cruising around? They act like they’re above the law.

The intersections I see were all recently redesigned to improve safety for people on bikes and on foot, and I’d say that even with all the careless drivers it probably is safer for them now than it was before. But it’s really just ridiculous how inattentive and willfully reckless so many drivers are these days.

All DC cabs have the same livery, regardless of company. Perhaps the government agency that oversees them will have a way to report: https://dfhv.dc.gov/

Tbh that’s how things are now. My advice would be to only enter the crosswalk when there are no cars approaching. It seems like that to be the root of your near-death experiences today

Move

I was walking in Georgetown today and OMG it was hard to cross the street, with the walk light, in the crosswalk, without being hit. Drivers were blocking the intersections, they were frustrated, road rage - and I had to weave between car bumpers to cross Wisconsin Ave.

This!

I dont know what's happened the last few years but for now this is reality and it's better to adjust than to get hurt.

I'm also a fan of crossing behind cars if they're at the crosswalk already.

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I'm glad you're OK, and so sorry that two drivers almost injured or killed you, especially in such a short timespan.

The Department of For-Hire Vehicles regulates taxis. You may want to contact them directly. See https://dfhv.dc.gov/ .

In the longer term what we need is safer infrastructure, such as e.g. raised crosswalks, virtually everywhere in the city. You can put in a 311 service request ticket to have the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) do a Traffic Safety Investigation (TSI) at a specific intersection, like the two you were almost hit at.

You can also follow up with your Council Member's staff, and with the ANC of that area.

As a driver I’m sick of other drivers trying to kill me too. Turning where they shouldn’t, frequent U turns, blocking traffic to cross over yellow lines to get to parking, speeding through red lights, constantly tailgating, not to mention becoming absolutely pissed when I stop to let pedestrians cross when it’s fucking green for them—yeah, I’ll run over someone so you don’t honk at me, sure, congratulations on being so special…

Driving in DC sucks. Being a pedestrian sucks. Not having many options for public transportation from south MD into DC sucks.

I miss working from home 5 days a week, not having to constantly risk my life in traffic.

I share that strategy with you. You avoid getting hit and allows traffic to move.

Headphones out and head on swivel. Just cause you got the right away does not mean anything

Janeese is a joke and I realized this when she re-posted something from Trayon White where he organized folks from his ward protesting against and mocking Latino workers, telling them literally “Hasta La Vista.” Shameful.

I was going to say reach out to Dept of For-Hire Vehicles as well. I believe you can file complaints with them.

where does it say that OP had headphones in?

It doesn’t. That’s for everyone

Ban cars in the city limits

Georgetown is too small for the amount of traffic that go through making it a pain to cross

not wrong

Too many people with EarPods in now. Go to a grocery store. People just walk right into you because they can’t hear you coming right next to them

FYI, spark plugs go through windows like a hot knife through butter. With the arrival of more jacket centric weather, you could always carry one in an empty pocket.

Are you wearing all-black and crossing at night? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Opolski-Adjustable-Reflective-Night-Running-Riding-Safety-Vest-Strap-Cleaner-Jacket-Gear/232146715

About two weeks ago my wife was walking in Brookland around Menomale pizzeria. While she was crossing the street with a walk signal a man was tuning right. He actually waived to her with his index finger not to cross, even though she had a walk sign, and he proceed to drive as close to her as physically possible without hitting her. She rightfully yelled at him. He reversed the car in the middle of the street and got out of his car and threatened her. She said she was going to walk to the police and he followed her. He didn’t get back in the car until she pulled out her phone and started recording him.

This whole situation is incredible to me. But I also can’t believe other cars just drove by and watched this man physically threatening a young woman. I was not there, but I did see most of it on video.

Yeah, it’s terrible. I walk my kids to/from school every day which I thought would be a dream after growing up in a place with a walk score of 0 but it’s so stressful watching people drive like sociopaths everywhere. The worst behavior happens right in front of the school, often by parents who have just dropped their kids off and then gun it through a 4 way stop with kids all around. DDOT doesn’t care about doing anything that would inconvenience drivers or expect them to not be sociopaths.

Yeah I always cross behind the cars

God I wish my ANC returned any of my phone calls or emails, ever.

Yeah, M St is essentially the interior of a mall, except it’s a major thoroughfare connecting to a major bridge to VA.

But don’t worry - they’re building a gondola!

Same thing happened to me today. Red light, chilling, dude in a kitted out Mustang with paper MD plates honks, revs, then swerved around me to run and turn right on red… and I immediately ended up behind him at the next light.

It would be so laughable how absolutely meaningless their Mad Max high speed maneuvers were, if they didn’t kill/injure people on a very regular basis.

Egg them

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FHV has a very easy way to report it: email dfhv.complaints@dc.gov. I get a reply from a city employee every time and they’ll update you with progress.

I am always looking in the direction traffic will be approaching in when crossing a street. It helps a lot.

DC has decided that enforcing traffic laws would not be "equitable." Sucks for all the people of color who get killed by traffic violence though.

Open you eyes. Be aware and understand when to go an not. Its been a know thing not to trust the driver. So my question is do you trust yourself?

Damn. I saw a pedestrian got honked at and cussed out by a driver because said pedestrian was crossing the street while having the right of way. It was so bizarre hearing the driver honk and yelling “hurry up!!!!!!!!” even though the pedestrian have the right of way.

It’s so scary man

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Licensed and Insured Drivers get to blast music and nearly kill other road users, while people just trying to walk across the street are culpable in getting hit because they wear headphones?

Pardon my French, but fuck that.

Ticket drivers. Tow them when they don't pay. Take away their license if they keep violating laws.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.

Maybe OP should dress up like a christmas tree and wave a giant flag while screaming "Please don't hit me" every time they go out, while they are at it.

I think we need much tougher driving enforcement, but I don't see why we can't also making our road system functional and sane. While cars and dirt bikes are racing up 14th Street, we're ticketing drivers for $125 for going more than 7.5 MPH through the K Street underpass. We also refuse to time stoplights on a lot of major streets, which actually incentivizes people to gun it through a yellow in order not to get stuck at the next eight intersections in succession.

It is very possible to make driving both easier and safer by shifting focus from revenue collection to bona fide safety enforcement and efficiency.

A lot of this comes down to enforcement. You can have all the bike lanes, weekend street closures, and no-turn-on-anything policies you want. But that's only going to stop halfway-responsible drivers. The people who seem to be making D.C. a lot more dangerous for pedestrians recently are the many complete assholes who just do not care about traffic laws. Or the halfholes who may not intend to run a light but are willing to text while driving.

Constant enforcement is how you deal with that. It doesn't even have to be super strict. Just reliable enough to deter assholes.

I bought a reflective zipper myself. I was trying to help, not dismiss.

Some, not all. I definitely agree with meaningful enforcement such as reciprocity for outstanding tickets, or a meaningful punishment when caught. But I think this is all a short term solution.

The way you are trying to help is to effectively blame the victim. The root cause of the issue is licensed and insured drivers violating laws and endangering people without consequence. It doesn't matter how reflective your vest is. When they hit you, they will say "I didn't see them," because they weren't looking.

Run?

Your wife had every reason to be angry at the driver - who among us would not have felt the same way?

>But I also can’t believe other cars just drove by and watched this man physically threatening a young woman.

The moral of the story is that if you choose to engage with a reckless driver and potentially escalate the situation, assume that no one will be coming to your assistance if it turns violent. You can chalk it up to bystander apathy, cowardice, minding one's own business, or whatever you want. Based on news reports that I've read, I think it is a healthy self-preservation interest at work. Sometimes people try to get in the middle of a conflict between a couple, with an eye toward protecting the woman in the couple. The male partner becomes enraged at the interloper and a fight breaks out. And then, later, instead of being appreciative toward the good Samaritan, the woman tells the police that he is the bad guy and that the couple was just having a spirited disagreement. I'm not saying that happens all the time, but it happens enough that you can foresee it as a possible outcome that would make you wish you had not gotten involved.

Yeah the Scott Key bridge goes to Rosslyn. Almost always busy

Yup. Unfortunately you cannot be looking at your phone in crosswalks. I never cross the street even when I have a right away without looking both ways - and even then I’m still looking both ways as I’m crossing. Sucks but it’s how it is.

Got any advice for how to work with the assumption that you'll never be able to reliably walk somewhere because of the commonly cited and apparently immutable fact that erratic, possibly violent people are simply never going to stop being at least a block or two away at all times? I get what you're saying with cause and effect, it's just kind of hard to factor that kind of thing in day to day if you can't fly or teleport where you need to be.

If you wanna die, that’s on you, but you’re gonna lose the fight

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Sure. When I was learning how to drive, my mother urged me to practice "defensive driving," which is the idea that there will be many dangerous drivers on the road and the safest thing to do is to be extra careful in an effort to compensate for other drivers' lack of reasonable care.

My advice for pedestrians is to practice defensive walking, and my advice for cyclists (I am one myself), is to practice defensive cycling. So, with respect to pedestrians, don't assume that motorists will respect the crosswalks, don't assume that they will stop at red lights, etc. A pedestrian should not have to think this way, but it could make the difference between a close encounter and actually being hit by a car.

Edit: grammar

A good quote from a similar thread - “cemeteries are filled with those who had the right of way”

I've always been late to jump on any bandwagons but there is certainly something happening. Not sure what is causing this. I had two close calls yesterday, both times they were vehicles making left turns into my crosswalk. Stay safe.

Another post that should be titled “cars won’t stop for me and i can’t handle it”

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Unfortunately, my understanding as a bicyclist is that because pedestrians sometimes jaywalk, it is pedestrians' fault if they get hit in a crosswalk for not being safe enough road users.

This is actually completely backwards. You can't control people's minds, and you can't have traffic cops on every street corner at all times; enforcement is extremely limited in what it can accomplish.

But you can build infrastructure that makes it harder to drive dangerously -- and this works on people no matter how erratically they want to drive. People don't want to wreck their cars -- if you build infrastructure where unsafe driving is very likely to lead you to smash into a curb or median or divider, even really dickish drivers will drive safer.

Don’t walk

I once watched a police car zoom through one of the crosswalks by Menomale while a group of pedestrians- 4+ people- were clearly waiting to cross the road. It was so astonishing that we had an exchange about it through my car window being like.... WTF just happened?

Last week while crossing Massachusetts Ave NW some jerk in a black Dodge Charger ran a red light and then started yelling at everyone in the crosswalk that cars were more important than pedestrians. He then demonstrated his anger by revving the engine and leaving two big skidmarks across the crossing.

Is there anything in common these bad drivers have?

As stated, enforcement only goes so far. You really need roads to be designed to make dangerous driving difficult. This includes speed bumps and narrow roads. Dutch roads are designed like this.

While I love sticking it to drivers, the blatant dishonesty (at best) or lying about having speed cameras at the entrance from 395 really hurt popular support for speed cameras. And as we have learned since 2016, conspiracy theories thrive in the absence of truth. The city should remove the camera at 395 and simply add more on city streets.

This is really sad. Can you provide evidence?

It was an Instagram story that Janeese reposted in 2020, but the stories are temporary, so I guess you’ll have to take my word that she reposted it. But in terms of the actual protest, there was some news coverage:

Trayon White promotes, attends protest where Latino construction workers were racially harassed

Trayon White Apologizes After Promoting Protest Where Latino Workers Faced ‘Threats and Insults’

Video of the Protest

I actually kind of liked Janeese at the time, until I saw her repost of a story supporting the protest.

I don’t have twitter, but maybe someone can see if she said something about it there in Oct 2020.

This works. Thanks for providing links. I especially loathe the anti-semitic, racist, pedestrian hating Trayon White, so this looks doubly bad for JLG.

It’s a mystery to me how Trayon White keeps getting endorsements and support from seemingly normal people and organizations. I think a local progressive Jewish group even endorsed him. It’s wacky and makes my head spin.

I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, it’s true. You, as a person walking, are much more physically vulnerable than someone in a car. And if music is causing you to not be aware of your surroundings, just take your headphones off at intersections/busy crossings. I expect the same from drivers. It’s just general best practice. Coming from someone who’s also almost been hit in a crosswalk multiple times and does think this is a driving issue. Not victim blaming pedestrians at all, but please, for your safety, you know?

I would say something else about how folks suddenly know when to keep headphones off, but I’m not tryna start a big debate.

Yeah, the dodging and extra stomping you gotta do to alert people sometimes so they don’t run straight into you is ridiculous. Obviously, sometimes things just happen, but the AirPods thing has definitely been a constant factor in the uptick of incidents, speaking anecdotally. Also the unheard shouts of “hey can you hold the elevator!” has gone up as well. I would say maybe people pretend to not hear you/see you, but they always seem genuinely surprised/apologetic if you make it in time.

Almost got splattered on U street by a moron speeding up, I guess to try to beat the light. Thankfully I wasn't so drunk that I didn't notice and jump out of the way but christ, drivers here have no regard for anyone else not also in a two ton death machine.

Politics makes strange bedfellows. Just like how all these Fortune 100 companies promised to stop giving money to 1/6ers but then quietly resumed them. It's politics...and hypocrisy. What makes Washington go round.