What is up with people not only not looking, but not even slowing down to give an indication they are going to cross the street on Yokosuka?   I realize there are crosswalks and pedestrians have the right of way but it seems a high number of individuals think they are protected by some invisible force field upon entering said crosswalk.  I came THIS close to hitting a senior chief yesterday who was walking down the street McDonalds is on.  I was turning left onto Nimitz toward the Womble Gate.  Without looking, slowing down, etc., he veered into the crosswalk directly in front of my car.  I was maybe 2ft from said crosswalk when this happened.  I see this time and time again on that particular road.  I don't get it.  I don't know anyone who wasn't taught to stop and look both ways before crossing the street. I think most people are more than happy to stop their car and allow someone to cross the street but they need to know that someone is planning to cross. 

My husband and I complain about the same thing. That street in front of McDonalds is notorious for people just stepping out into traffic. It's like these people have a death wish. The adults are worse than the kids. In fact, I've never had a kid step out into traffic on base before. It's always the adults that forget to "look before you cross."

Posted By Yoko-girl on 02-01-2012 2:29 PM
My husband and I complain about the same thing. That street in front of McDonalds is notorious for people just stepping out into traffic. It's like these people have a death wish. The adults are worse than the kids. In fact, I've never had a kid step out into traffic on base before. It's always the adults that forget to "look before you cross."

In addition it appears that they slow down and cross the street at their leisure once they realized they have inconvenienced someone...  Almost like a "I won" strut...

IMO, the drivers are the ones that speed though and do not even look.... I specifically give these drivers the right away since its obvious I wont get it. One would would think the drivers would automatically slow down at the crosswalks, but no. They speed up.

I've been here since 1999 and remember being surprised as you when I first arrived. I just couldn't imagine how people could cross without looking first. Now, on base, I anticipate that anyone even near a crosswalk may suddenly and unexpectedly risk his/her life completely unaware of the danger.

Yes, GM1sHoney, I too, have seen drivers like you describe, but you'd think some of these risk-takers would notice the same. I admit to having ignored much of what my mama told me, but looking both ways before crossing the street was one I've paid attention to since I was a wee child.

And the people riding the bikes! you are either a pedestrian or your not, don't just ride your bike with traffic then contiue when the light is RED FOR YOU ! I have came close to hitting a couple of these people, espically when they make no indication that they are turning because ITS RED AND THEY ARE IN TRAFFIC NOT THE SIDE WALK AND TURN ONTO THE SIDE WALK AND CONTINUE PEDELLING AWAY!! I walk alot and I stress to my kids and my husband make eye contact with the driver before you enter that cross walk. Just because you have the right away doesn't mean you take safety for GRANTED.

I just assume everyone that's not me is dumb and proceed with caution, as a pedestrian, and as a driver.  Has worked out for me since arriving here in OCT 2011, and has worked in CONUS prior to arriving here.  

Or how about the pedestrians that run to the crosswalk, then walk or stroll very slowly once in them!

Loud exhaust and rolling around at a high RPM people tend to not walk out in front of me as much

Posted By indytrucks on 02-05-2012 12:50 AM
Loud exhaust and rolling around at a high RPM people tend to not walk out in front of me as much

Wow!!  Hey great idea, what kind of car do you drive?? I thought about putting a muffler on my car but I am not sure right now!!

S14. What do you have? "Loud pipes saves lives" isn't just for Harleys. Lol. Just to clarify, my car isn't super loud since I put the silencer in.

Farfromhome, I so badly want a law that states you can use a pellet gun for slow walkers! lol! That is my pet peeve!!!!!!!!!!

As a pedestrian, if I know a car got to the crosswalk before me, and they still stop, I speed up to a brisk walk and quick wave of my hand as my way of saying, "Thank you". If you see a pedestrian do that for you, there's a good chance it was me. LOL.

Yep, retards will be retards, the laws of physics will catch up with them sooner or later.

As a pedestrian, I have to say that I always stop and look before crossing, since I know the car will always win, whether I have the right of way or not. But there have been so many instances where drivers don't stop or even slow down even with me clearly standing there to cross. A lot of the drivers on base don't follow the rules to slow down at cross walks. The main reason I always wait. I just stop expecting drivers to give me the right of way. However, those that do, I will hurry and cross so as not to hold up traffic.

there is no rule that says you have to slow down at crosswalks in japan. the CFAY instruction is worded along the lines that the pedestrian needs to make eye contact to ascertain that the driver sees them yada yada yada, its kinda vague really, but I know there are many times I have stopped, just to find out that the retard standing in front of the crosswalk was just standing there, IE not intending to cross, or worse yelling at a friend on the other side.....

Thank you! I thought it was just me. The crosswalks around the very large 3-way stop intersection near Womble gate (where the big flashing LED sign is) are the worst. Not only are the crosswalks positioned 10ft behind the stop signs where cars gain speed coming out of the stops, no one freakin' ever looks before crossing the street!!! I always make eye contact with the drivers before I cross. Here though it's like people have lost all traces of common sense. The just march right out into the street without a glance at traffic.

Truly though, that intersection is pretty dangerous for pedestrians. I don't know why they can't put the cross walks in line with the stop signs or get rid of the ones near the intersection all together since each of those streets that meet at that intersection have a crosswalk every 100ft.