Tragic accident in Makakilo

Speed and alcohol were'nt factors . . . jaywalking was. Apparently some
kids and grownups aren't getting the message that in a contest between their
bodies and a multi-thousand pound vehicle, the vehicle will win. When it
comes to braking, people can usually "stop on a dime" but cars and trucks
can't.

MTI wrote:
> Speed and alcohol were'nt factors . . . jaywalking was. Apparently
> some
> kids and grownups aren't getting the message that in a contest between
> their
> bodies and a multi-thousand pound vehicle, the vehicle will win. When
> it
> comes to braking, people can usually "stop on a dime" but cars and
> trucks
> can't.

in Hilo I see that every morning. Kids will walk across the road (which
at that time is 4-lane one-way) 20 feet from a crosswalk - and if they
use the cross walk not bother waiting for the light to change, even
when it isn't raining. (Usually the parents who drop of those kids
don't show better traffic behavior either). I think it's an attitude
thing ... ("I do that because I can and if you hurt me it's your fault")

Maren

MTI wrote:
> Speed and alcohol were'nt factors . . . jaywalking was. Apparently
some
> kids and grownups aren't getting the message that in a contest
between their
> bodies and a multi-thousand pound vehicle, the vehicle will win.
When it
> comes to braking, people can usually "stop on a dime" but cars and
trucks
> can't.

Sad situation but agree. I don't think I saw or heard the word
"jaywalking" in any of the news articles or pieces. Can only shake the
head and wonder how many pedestrian deaths could be avoided in Hawaii
if only people crossed busy streets using the crosswalks.

In article <1112982302-sch@news.lava.net>, "Quante981"
<quante981@m> wrote:

> MTI wrote:
>> Speed and alcohol were'nt factors . . . jaywalking was. Apparently
> some
>> kids and grownups aren't getting the message that in a contest
> between their
>> bodies and a multi-thousand pound vehicle, the vehicle will win.
> When it
>> comes to braking, people can usually "stop on a dime" but cars and
> trucks
>> can't.
>
> Sad situation but agree. I don't think I saw or heard the word
> "jaywalking" in any of the news articles or pieces. Can only shake the
> head and wonder how many pedestrian deaths could be avoided in Hawaii
> if only people crossed busy streets using the crosswalks.

I don't remember which station I was watching but the report definitely
included jaywalking, that the kids do it due to the positioning of the
bus stop in relation to the crosswalks and that there was a bus stop on
only one side of the street; the opposite side from where the teen
lived. Such a sad story. Changes are already in progress.

I've always been concerned by the number of pedestrian infractions I
see on a daily basis. While driving home after work last night I took
Dillingham Blvd. in lieu of Nimitz. It was raining. Lots of traffic,
but not bumper to bumper. All of a sudden there was a woman crossing
Dillingham on her red light...but in a crosswalk! Fortunately all of us
were able to stop. Amazing.

Yes, unfortunately whenever you hear a news story about a pedestrian
accident, the key phrase is "the victim was not in a crosswalk" as the media
does not use the phrase "jaywalking." Yesterday, apparently two boys, not
in a crosswalk in Waikiki, were hit by a car on Ena Road.

While there's natural sympathy for the victims, especially if they are
children, there is a severe and substantial effect on the drivers in these
accidents.

A couple of thoughts. First, though it is
certainly more convenient to cross the street
where the bus is at, it just takes a little more
effort to walk to the crosswalk, to get into the
bus. If the student is running late and therefore
is not at the location for the pickup, whose fault
is that? Second, I have to wonder why the bus
even stopped in between crosswalks, which just
invites someone to crosswarlk to catch the bus.
In a busy street, why don't they only stop close
to crosswalks.

There is more danger in putting a bus stop (and the resulting stopped
bus)
near the corner of an intersection, as opposed to futher down the block.
Turning cars, cars following thru the intersection and other hazards,
like
people in crosswalks, makes it safer not to put bus stops at corners.

In article <1113079503-sch@news.lava.net>, "Jerry Okamura"
<okamuraj005@hawaii.> wrote:

> A couple of thoughts. First, though it is
> certainly more convenient to cross the street
> where the bus is at, it just takes a little more
> effort to walk to the crosswalk, to get into the
> bus. If the student is running late and therefore
> is not at the location for the pickup, whose fault
> is that? Second, I have to wonder why the bus
> even stopped in between crosswalks, which just
> invites someone to crosswarlk to catch the bus.
> In a busy street, why don't they only stop close
> to crosswalks.

>From what I could gather from the news reports there was a designated
bus stop that happened to be between 2 crosswalks. Why, and who
designated it...I don't know. Maybe the initial mindset was that
placing a bus stop equidistant between those crosswalks made it easier
(fairer?) for all the kids within that area. I really have no idea and
am just throwing out possibilities. It was also reported that the teen
involved did not want to go to school that day and, at the last
minute, reluctantly agreed. Now that a family has lost it's child, the
bus stop, I heard, has been moved closer to one of the crosswalks. It
seems to me that a stop at each crosswalk is a safer solution even if
it adds extra travel time.

"MTI" <mark@mc-carter.com> wrote in message
news:1113098708-sch@news.lava.net...
>
> There is more danger in putting a bus stop (and
> the resulting stopped
> bus)
> near the corner of an intersection, as opposed
> to futher down the block.
> Turning cars, cars following thru the
> intersection and other hazards,
> like
> people in crosswalks, makes it safer not to put
> bus stops at corners.
>

In Los Angeles, almost all the bus stops are on
"corners". If they are so dangerous, why are they
there? Besides, I would guess that bus stops are
near corners, because that allows people from all
directions to have convenient access to catching
the bus, don't you think? If it was say in the
middle of a block, that would mean that someone
who is across the street, has to walk to the
nearest crosswalk to catch the bus, or perhaps as
the sad story of Makakilo tells us, they will
simply jay walk, with all the associated risk of
such an action?

Sue Larkin wrote:
> In article <1112982302-sch@news.lava.net>, "Quante981"
> <quante981@m> wrote:
>> Sad situation but agree. I don't think I saw or heard the word
>> "jaywalking" in any of the news articles or pieces. Can only shake
the
>> head and wonder how many pedestrian deaths could be avoided in
Hawaii
>> if only people crossed busy streets using the crosswalks.
>
> I don't remember which station I was watching but the report
definitely
> included jaywalking, that the kids do it due to the positioning of
the
> bus stop in relation to the crosswalks and that there was a bus stop
on
> only one side of the street; the opposite side from where the teen
> lived. Such a sad story. Changes are already in progress.

You are probably right. The tv news pieces Friday evening also used
the term jaywalking.


> I've always been concerned by the number of pedestrian infractions I
> see on a daily basis. While driving home after work last night I took
> Dillingham Blvd. in lieu of Nimitz. It was raining. Lots of traffic,
> but not bumper to bumper. All of a sudden there was a woman crossing
> Dillingham on her red light...but in a crosswalk! Fortunately all of
us
> were able to stop. Amazing.

Crossing against the light during rush hour in the rain. Some people
take big risks to save minutes.