Comments on: Blaming the Pedestrian, Again http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/19/blaming-the-pedestrian-again/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Spokker http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/19/blaming-the-pedestrian-again/comment-page-1/#comment-57291 Spokker Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:12:18 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=89001#comment-57291 You have to protect yourself out there. Nobody is going to do it for you. You have to protect yourself out there. Nobody is going to do it for you.

]]> By: Luke Shepard http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/19/blaming-the-pedestrian-again/comment-page-1/#comment-57221 Luke Shepard Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:07:21 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=89001#comment-57221 Poor Shane Price. He just moved from New York, where maybe cars are a little more aware of those sorts of things. Poor Shane Price. He just moved from New York, where maybe cars are a little more aware of those sorts of things.

]]> By: mikesonn http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/19/blaming-the-pedestrian-again/comment-page-1/#comment-56871 mikesonn Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:54:04 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=89001#comment-56871 That quote from the officer might be taking the reality of the situation into light - i.e. people do drive distracted - but it also sounds as if he is saying that it's just the way it is and that pedestrians just have to accept that fact. And when the news is using just that quote on their broadcast (in context or not), it makes it sound like the driver isn't at fault of checking their text messages while driving. And the captive audience is going to hear/see that and think that behavior is acceptable. That quote from the officer might be taking the reality of the situation into light – i.e. people do drive distracted – but it also sounds as if he is saying that it’s just the way it is and that pedestrians just have to accept that fact.

And when the news is using just that quote on their broadcast (in context or not), it makes it sound like the driver isn’t at fault of checking their text messages while driving. And the captive audience is going to hear/see that and think that behavior is acceptable.

]]> By: Dave http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/19/blaming-the-pedestrian-again/comment-page-1/#comment-56841 Dave Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:33:40 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=89001#comment-56841 Oh please. There's nothing in that quote which is anti-pedestrian! It's obviously a condemnation of distracted drivers. It's pointing out the obvious -- that in a car vs. pedestrian accident, the pedestrian always loses. I'm not denying that for a long time, urban design has been too focused on cars and needs to focus more on pedestrians and providing balance between the two. But this quote is not ammunition in that fight. Lipstick on a pig, anyone? Oh please. There’s nothing in that quote which is anti-pedestrian! It’s obviously a condemnation of distracted drivers. It’s pointing out the obvious — that in a car vs. pedestrian accident, the pedestrian always loses.

I’m not denying that for a long time, urban design has been too focused on cars and needs to focus more on pedestrians and providing balance between the two. But this quote is not ammunition in that fight. Lipstick on a pig, anyone?

]]>