Well, not that kind of asshole, anyway.

I'm sensitive to their situation. I've seen drivers who obnoxiously move into the crosswalk inch by inch while you're trying to walk across as though they can't stand waiting for you a few seconds in their nice comfortable car. I've always tried to hurry across the crosswalk (unlike absolute asshole pedestrians who lounge through the crosswalk, taking their own sweet time) but often jogging across isn't enough for some drivers who want to go, go, go.

In other words, there are asshole drivers and asshole pedestrians.

I'm obviously not talking about people who can't cross in a reasonable time. The disabled are not assholes. The people who go so slowly they're practically lounging with cellphone in hand or cracking jokes with their friends are assholes. If you haven't seen any it's not my fault.

also if one person in a group doesn't walk fast and can't, are those with them obligated to walk with them, at the same pace, or should they hurry through?

None of them ever drag through a cross walk and all exercise courtesy in going across in a reasonable time. I must be a bad liberal in not always criticizing drivers over pedestrians even when my senses tell me some pedestrians seem to go slowly just to spite drivers or just because they' seem lost in their own world not exercising consideration for others. I really don't know what came over me. Sorry.

Poor thing! Those crappy pedestrians and their inability to walk 25-30mph! How dare they!

who doesn't even bother reading upthread.

As a pedestrian I don't feel under any obligation to jog or walk very quickly through the cross walk.

A friend of mine and I take a walk around when the weather is nice. She is 28 yrs. old and has nasty arthritis in one knee already. She doesn't have a cane. Sorry, but you will just have to wait until we get across.

I just had major knee surgery because I had destroyed the cartilage in my knee and I don't have any trouble getting through a crosswalk in a reasonable time.

But then again, I have things to get done so I don't linger anywhere.

The walk isn't short. As long as they are obeying the signals, I feel like there is no need to hurry beyond walking or strolling speed.

than they are by walking.

and you can defend your strawmen argument since you originated them, not me.

at reasonable speed and those who are simply being discourteous by taking too long. Young people who show no problem with their gait or obviously healthy people out jogging who go across very slowly or people who appear so engrossed in conversation they don't even seem to be aware they are in a crosswalk can't be judged. You take exception to my criticism of some who very obviously to me are just lounging across discourteously, talking on cellphones, going across backwards while joking with their friends and the like. If we have to give all of them the benefit of the doubt, they are all innocent of rudeness and can't be criticized. That's what you seem to be saying.

or stopping in the middle of the cross walk, or slowing down as you cross can provide a pretty good indication.

portrays that goes on in my town.

Drivers either don't look, or they look and don't give a crap. They have a car and all you have is flesh and bones.

The idea that we're only protecting pedestrians is missing an important point:

All drivers are pedestrians at some point.

I don't have a car, so I'm always a pedestrian. I'm pretty careful when I cross streets. Always in the cross walk. As soon as the light changes or the sign turns to 'walk', I give it a couple of seconds.

regardless of who is in the cross walk.

is up with that. This is my experience around my town.

keep inching and inching forward. The only space I have legally as a pedestrian is the cross walk.

anyway, the question was to drivers, asking them if they check the curbs (both curbs) for pedestrians about to cross before turning through a crosswalk.

not JUST for people in the crosswalk, but people about to step into it.

It's hard enough to get all drivers to respect those in the crosswalks, those who are on the curbs when a driver is approaching to turn often get not even a glance from the drivers.

It's dangerous and was worth discussing.

If they were proceeding after the pedestrian had crossed, they should have given a little more space.

On the other hand, if the pedestrian had to go around the car because it was waiting in the crosswalk, I think a ticket to the driver might be appropriate.

not that difficult.

why, did someone almost run you over?

Get off my road, hippies!

I would hate to dent my bumper and hood.

I actually am not sure I would ever get over hitting someone. My fault or not. I also don't push the point in those instances by creeping forward and showing impatience. No need to create a hostile environment. Crossing the road is difficult enough in my area on its own.

light or stop sign, they are fair game!

When I was a kid, riding in the car with my grandfather, he always referred to that type of street-crosser as a "squirrel" because, like the animal, they darted out in front of traffic without even looking.

I know, that term could have racial undertones. But I believe he fairly applied it to crossers without discrimination.

of course downtown is only 10 blocks, but still. It is annoying when tourist season hits and people don't stop for peds as much. And yes, to answer your OP question, keep an eye out for those on the curbs whether turning or going straight.

My assumption is that no driver wants to hit a pedestrian and no pedestrian wants to get hit. And it takes two to make the tango work. Eye contact works.

...anywhere, except from the parking lot to (fill-in-the-blank-retail). And people who are walking in the places they might drive are mere obstacles.

cause there are no sidewalks, nobody walks and most people are overweight...

It's amazing to me..I walk down the street and cars drive almost into the grass so not to get anywhere near a pedestrian.

I tell my friends that the driver (drives like s/he) has the right of way in Chicago. People here are indignant if you're in the crosswalk holding them up and try to "buzz" you as they throttle past your inconvenient ass. Drivers also act like they can't avoid hitting you. Just a month ago or so, I was crossing the street going to my car and, per usual, some woman blasts her horn at me and guns it, presumably to make me...run(?); this, she did with a stop sign about 75 yards ahead of her. So I scoot to the side and slap her side mirror as she passes me, then get in my car. Of course, she has to get out at the stop sign, walk around her car, and turn her mirror out. Plenty of time for me to pull up along side her and wish her a "Happy Friday!"

I don't want to hit anyone.

And if I am on foot, I always try to hurry across a pedestrian crossing if a car is waiting for me to cross.