12 March, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The other night I was walking home around midnight. I crossed the Champs-Elysées — on a green pedestrian light, for once. I wasn’t listening to music, but must have been lost in thought nonetheless. All of a sudden I heard a man scream “Attention!” He then threw half of his body in front of me to stop me from walking. As he did this, a car zoomed through the crosswalk.
Who says chivalry is dead?
Anglofille said @ 9:10 pm | paris life |
- Comments RSS | TrackBack URI
-
rebecca Says:
March 13th, 2007 at 2:29 amWow! Chivalry indeed! I hate when people turn when someone is walking in the crosswalk and do have the right of way. I’ve heard the laws are different about this in the UK though… so maybe I will have to be really careful when I’m there in the fall. Do pedestrians yield to cars in France?
-
I honestly don’t know what the laws are, but from my experience, neither drivers in London nor Paris even slow down when they see a pedestrian in the crosswalk, let alone yield! In general, Paris drivers are much worse. But in London, you’ve got the issue of never being quite sure which way to look before crossing.
-
Lucky escape! Was your savior worth a second look, then?
-
Yikes!! Close call. So glad he was there and that you’re still here!! Also, can we throw LA in there re:perils of walking when others are driving? Drivers don’t stop for pedestrians in my experience, but perhaps that’s because there aren’t very many. Pedestrians, that is. I’ve almost gotten nailed a few times….
-
Mr. X: I was quite stunned and once I recovered, he was gone. *sigh*
Gigi: I think you win in the dangerous pedestrian sweepstakes! Walking in LA? You’re brave!
-
rebecca Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 5:07 amActually my whole philosophy on walking in cities was learned in LA! When the light turns green for walking, I step out. Unless someone is flooring it around the corner, I turn to look straight at them. I have had to slam my hand down on many a hoods as people have almost hit me, but they always look mightily startled! It’s not as if they didn’t see me there, and if they hit me, they’re going to have to pay my medical bills.
I seriously doubt I’ll employ that philosophy in London though!!! Even I’m not THAT brave!
-
I use those tactics in Paris! I wouldn’t be afraid to do that sort of thing in London. Doing it in LA is scarier — people there are more likely to be armed.
