Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Ferry Cross the Mersey

File this one under bad tourist etiquette although I have no way of proving these folks aren't just townies like me except that I didn't actually recognize any of them.
What's up with riders and walkers on the bike path who, when they come to a road intersection, Old Dock Road, for example, wave across drivers who have come to a stop in front of the crosswalk.
I can't understand this at all. Do these people think they are doing me a favor? I'm stopped already, you might as well cross.
It's as if I were holding the door open for someone, who, when they got up to the door, suddenly decided they weren't going out after all.
This doesn't happen when two cars meet. Imagine two drivers were approaching an intersection and one was looking to make a left-hand turn and the other was going straight through. If the going straight driver were to slow down and wave the left turning driver into the intersection, the left turning driver wouldn't carelessly shake his head, smile, and wave the other driver on. Heck no! He would make that turn and be darn happy someone slowed down for him at all. This is Massachusetts after all; he could still be waiting in that intersection two days later.
Ken says I'm making a big deal out of nothing but let me just say - this doesn't happen to me every once in a while, it happens on a regular basis; almost every time I cross the bike path. Sometimes it happens more than once a day.
Ken says these walkers and bikers are probably waiting for other members of their party to catch up with them but I say that they can't be because they aren't back and off to the side of the intersection like any sane person who was waiting for friends, family, or the moss to grow.
Besides, there's a big sign in the middle of the crosswalk informing drivers that they must stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. If we have to stop - then they have to cross.
Personally I take it as something of an insult. "What? My stop wasn't good enough for you? You're waiting for a better stop to come along? A Volvo or a Prius perhaps? What if the presidential motorcade stopped? Would you cross then?
The whole thing reminds me of the story of the boy who cried wolf.
And we all know how well that turned out.

song: Ferry Cross the Mersey • artist: Gerry and the Pacemakers

1 comment:

a.eye said...

I think they should cross, too.

And I love that it can be seen as an insult on your type of stop - funny!