Nearly killed in a crosswalk...again. Is there anything to be done?

Submitted by GrokYourWorld t3_yn4sum in washingtondc

I just came back from a relatively short walk during which I was nearly murdered by careless drivers, twice. First a guy rolled a stop sign, looked to his right, but turned left, without looking. I was already in the middle of the crosswalk, well before he even started his turn. Nothing I could do but scream. He stopped inches short of hitting me. He was profusely apologetic and I moved on, glad to be OK.

5 minutes later, I crossed another street with the light. A red taxi sped up to the intersection and was clearly about to run the light, possibly killing me en route. I jumped back and screamed to watch out. He slammed on the brakes, turned, and cursed at me! Like, how dare I be in the crosswalk!?! Then he continued to run the red light and sped off.

This was doubly upsetting so I got his plate -- A red cab with plate H-9752. This guy is supposed to be a professional.

I'm so sick of almost dying just going about my business. Does anybody know if there is a way to hold this guy accountable? I tried looking for a way to contact red cabs, haven't found any. I called DC 311, but they keep hanging up on me. Is our society just totally fucked by rampant impunity at this point?

*edited breaks to brakes* -thanks u/gutterbrain73

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alizadk t1_iv7m109 wrote

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/

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FennelSuperb7633 t1_iv8fgew wrote

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.

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H0pelessWanderer t1_ivaotab wrote

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?

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BubsterX1 t1_iv9h21d wrote

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.

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Snuggoth t1_iv9s90c wrote

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.

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BubsterX1 t1_iv9vqy4 wrote

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

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dwarfgourami t1_iv74oob wrote

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.

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madevilfish t1_iv7b5w9 wrote

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.

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FreemanCantJump t1_iv78uzi wrote

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.

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GrokYourWorld OP t1_iv793y4 wrote

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

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FreemanCantJump t1_iv7ak02 wrote

Crazy. I bet they didn't signal either.

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GrokYourWorld OP t1_iv7arm1 wrote

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??

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jednorog t1_iv7o681 wrote

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.

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dry_zooplankton t1_iv85t2g wrote

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

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acdha t1_iv8pcdw wrote

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.

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joe_sausage t1_iv8laka wrote

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

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aurora4000 t1_iv7mhqy wrote

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.

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danymany15 t1_iv8dk0s wrote

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

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joe_sausage t1_iv8lfys wrote

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!

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danymany15 t1_iv9konh wrote

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

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wintermacaw t1_iv7vyr5 wrote

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.

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sven_ftw t1_iv7c1jt wrote

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.

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joe_sausage t1_iv8ltln wrote

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.

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Tom_Leykis_Fan t1_iv7jbvv wrote

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.

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whichgustavo t1_iv82mvg wrote

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.

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Tom_Leykis_Fan t1_ivd13qp wrote

This is really sad. Can you provide evidence?

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whichgustavo t1_ivd6b4p wrote

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.

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Tom_Leykis_Fan t1_ivd6plj wrote

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

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whichgustavo t1_ivd9jwr wrote

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.

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Tom_Leykis_Fan t1_ivzmpkn wrote

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.

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walkandtalkk t1_iv99i4z wrote

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.

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Tom_Leykis_Fan t1_ivd0wqj wrote

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.

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emcee_gee t1_iv7kw7y wrote

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.

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squuidlees t1_iv71tqo wrote

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.

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rennbrig t1_iv9y1nd wrote

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

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dc_co t1_iv78kgk wrote

Same. I assume all drivers are idiots.

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frigidcucumber t1_iv9211i wrote

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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campbeer t1_iv79e6k wrote

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

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GrokYourWorld OP t1_iv7a81f wrote

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

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campbeer t1_iv7choe wrote

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.

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walkandtalkk t1_iv99wen wrote

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.

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Bitterfish t1_ivam97y wrote

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.

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campbeer t1_iv9b0d8 wrote

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.

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Yithar t1_ivd05s6 wrote

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.

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Awkward_Dragon25 t1_iv7cn6i wrote

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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Vegetable-Ratio-5857 t1_iv8qp19 wrote

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.

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officer_krunky t1_iv8fhyf wrote

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.

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giscard78 t1_iv79b7m wrote

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.

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pokemonster73 t1_iv8f1ir wrote

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.

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LeektheGeek t1_iv7m1tp wrote

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

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overnighttoast t1_iv7mquf wrote

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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NewUser22031 t1_iv7yr8x wrote

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

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Smoothvirus t1_ivb0aud wrote

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.

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lmboyer04 t1_iv7cf76 wrote

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.

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trash_2008 t1_iv9o0ay wrote

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.

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Oldbayistheshit t1_iv80vly wrote

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

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qksv t1_iv94z8y wrote

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.

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Oldbayistheshit t1_iv9uj8e wrote

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

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SleepCinema t1_ivdq63d wrote

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.

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_cuppycakes_ t1_iv8bvs2 wrote

where does it say that OP had headphones in?

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Oldbayistheshit t1_iv8d6jz wrote

It doesn’t. That’s for everyone

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_cuppycakes_ t1_iv8dqp1 wrote

not wrong

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Oldbayistheshit t1_iv8e4j0 wrote

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

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SleepCinema t1_ivdqv0r wrote

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.

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haroldhecuba88 t1_iv9y2k7 wrote

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.

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SquishWindow t1_ivagbt9 wrote

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.

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pengo242 t1_ivbo7iw wrote

Is there anything in common these bad drivers have?

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RatEarthTheory t1_ivvjy9w wrote

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.

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RedTreeDecember t1_iv8pv3n wrote

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

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srmduke21 t1_ivamnda wrote

Don’t walk

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FeaR_Beastly t1_iv91uxq wrote

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?

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blks2k2 t1_iv9e1m4 wrote

Run?

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Imaginary_Friend700 t1_iva4fab wrote

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

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klubkouture t1_iv8f4ur wrote

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

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qksv t1_iv952ub wrote

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.

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klubkouture t1_iv9a3pu wrote

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

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qksv t1_iv9d9m3 wrote

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.

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