Slow teen walkers almost cause car crash!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (206843)
Walnut Creek, California
March 22, 2018 7:20pm CST
Do you have this phenomenon in your community? You are about to start through an intersection when the light turns green. Several teenagers start to cross in front of you, walking against the light, as slowly as they can. Often they look directly at you, as if to ask "What are you going to do about it?"
The other day, at work in Berkeley, I saw an interesting version of this phenomenon, and it almost caused a car crash. A driver on University Avenue (a busy street) was about to make a left turn on a green light (there is no green arrow at the intersection). As he started to make his left turn, three slow teen walkers entered the intersection from the far left corner. I was taking my break, sipping coffee, and noted that they were walking against the little "walky man" light, which was red.
The driver appeared familiar with the slow teen walker phenomenon. Fast moving cars were bearing down on him from the opposite direction. He was trapped, or "hung out to dry," as we say here. I watched as he checked his rear view mirror and carefully backed into the left turn lane he had been in.
I took a sip of coffee and silently applauded him for his good driving, and his understanding of the phenomenon. The light turned red soon thereafter, and he didn't get to make his left turn until the next stoplight cycle.
Do you have the slow teen walker phenomenon where you live? Have you ever seen it almost cause an accident?
19 people like this
16 responses
@rebelann (111306)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Mar 18
I've only seen it once when I was going to ma's and had to pass by a high school, the little turds simply stopped in a group in the middle of the road and started talking as if they were the only ones around, one of them looked at me with an evil grin and just kept on talking with his buddies and high fiving them.
I'm glad I don't have to go there anymore.
2 people like this
Yep, teens and preteens - and sometimes even adults 
! Remember I am in L.A. . . . I see almost accidents all the time 
. I won't even get into J walkers 
!
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
23 Mar 18
I think I have the hand of one such walker still stuck in my front grate! The police told me I had the right of way and didn't press charges.
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
23 Mar 18
@TheHorse In Northern Pennsylvania. And yes, they do get in the way here, and no, I don't run them over... but I'm tempted to do so! 
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206843)
• Walnut Creek, California
23 Mar 18
@OneOfMany Oh, I wonder what they'd do if I just kept on going. My assumption is that they'd get out of the way but slap my car and feign getting hit. Follow the dollar, they say.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
24 Mar 18
this is a tourist town-it's not just the teenagers doing it.
i think sometimes people figure out i'm a local by the constantly pissed off look on my face.
but,when they get launched into the air one of these days giving somebody that look,they'll learn.
i think sometimes people figure out i'm a local by the constantly pissed off look on my face.
but,when they get launched into the air one of these days giving somebody that look,they'll learn.1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72279)
• Philippines
24 Mar 18
Oh of course we do and not only teens, adults too and it pisses me off.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36529)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 Mar 18
Not so much that, but there is this old guy in my town who rides a bike around our winding road that we must take to get to the main road in town, and he angers me anytime I see him. I have to slow down and pass him as do all the other people who drive on that winding road. He has no courtesy about himself. Since he is strong enough to ride a bicycle like he does, he should ride it more on the gravely grassy edge of the road. But ,no he has to be on the road.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36529)
• Toccoa, Georgia
24 Mar 18
@TheHorse That is why more and more cites and towns need bike paths.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206843)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 18
@LeaPea2417 We have some good bike paths out here in the 'burbs." But I'm not sure if there's room for more in a tight city like Berkeley.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459567)
• Switzerland
23 Mar 18
The slow walkers are not the real problem, but the joggers with their ears covered by headphones are a real danger. They run and cross the roads without even looking before if there are cars coming. They act like they had all the rights on the roads and pathways.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
23 Mar 18
No, they would not make it around here! Some red neck would throw something at them and yell get out of the road.
Now in the big city, Birmingham, its not just teens but everyone that will rake their time even in the right turns.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206843)
• Walnut Creek, California
23 Mar 18
@andriaperry Ah, OK. I had a friend from Alabama. He did have a different attitude about that kind of thing.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
23 Mar 18
@TheHorse LOL. Alabama, where else?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129604)
• Israel
3 Jun 18
@TheHorse
I have not seen that but I have encountered those on bikes going down the street on the same side as I am going up the street on my scooter. They do end up moving. I am in the right. I am told when I go down have to stay in the slow lane but they do what they want. They do not wait for lights they go when they want and when on the sidewalk with me they zoom by and no horn to let me know they are passing. I bet those teens are doing it on purpose to see if any of the drivers will hit them. I would call it Chutzpa which means nerve in Yiddish.
1 person likes this
@thedevilinme (3932)
• Northampton, England
23 Mar 18
shoegazers with Nirvana on their Dreys.lol
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29321)
• Eugene, Oregon
23 Mar 18
I see it here and it is worse in Portland.
1 person likes this
