My crosswalk experiment
I cross Speedway at 3rd Avenue several times a day. There is a crosswalk there and a sign informing motorists they are to stop when the crosswalk is occupied, but it is a very dangerous crossing so I take a lot of care. A young man was killed there last September, and I once caused a minor accident when I was in the crosswalk and a truck stopped abruptly, leaving the guy on the Harley behind him little option other than to lay down his bike. (He was okay, and the bike seemed alright, too.)
Last night at 10:30 a cop was hiding on 3rd Avenue with a speedgun. I wondered what would happen if I got stuck in the middle of Speedway on the crosswalk, with cars speeding by me in both directions. Would the police see fit to cite people who failed to stop for me?
I had two flashing lights on my back and my headlamp on my handlebars. I dismounted and walked across the first lane, but cars in the far lane did not stop even though I pointed my flashing headlamp directly at them.
Then cars came from the lane I’d just crossed. At first someone stopped, but they got honked at, so they proceeded. Sure enough, I was stuck in the crosswalk in the middle lane of Speedway with cars flying past me in both directions. Eventually a light changed down the street and I was able to cross.
The cop did nothing. I suspect she was irritated with me for slowing down traffic, since she was obviously trying to catch speeders.
Anyway, I did not disprove my hypothesis.