Cross Walks

©pralinanmi

Crosswalks...and a pedestrian's right-of-way... are a prevalent part of life in Boulder Colorado...and involve a certain sense of danger...for both the pedestrian and the driver of a vehicle. Several years ago...the city of Boulder installed a system of lights at some of the crosswalks which could be set off to flash by a pedestrian needing to cross a street. The system is good in concept...but relies on an honor code while assuming that people are rule followers...however...pedestrians often push that button...start the flashing...and enter the crossing without looking to see...or caring...whether the oncoming driver has had time to see the lights...react...and stop. As far as I can see...crosswalks are often a "recipe for disaster"... especially when non-flashing crosswalks are involved...as a car in one lane stops while the one in the parallel lane continues to zoom along across...oblivious to both the stopped car and the pedestrian about to get squashed... Worse yet is when a car behind the stopped one decides to go around and pass in the adjacent lane...oblivious to the fact that there's a crosswalk with a person in it about 3 feet ahead...and that there's a reason why the stopped car...stopped. I have even seen law enforcement personnel engage in this behaviour. For this reason...pedestrians often wave cars on at crosswalks...prefering to wait to cross till there are no cars at all..
The situation is especially bad around the CU Boulder campus. There's one crosswalk on the campus which flashes its lights day and night...irregardless of whether there's anyone approaching or not. During the week day...that particular stretch of pavement feels nonstop feet pounding across it...and it's not unusual for a vehicle to be stuck...waiting for the human wave to pass...for several minutes...its occupants forced to wait for and watch the continual stream of people...on foot...bicycle...and skateboard...who don't even bother to throw a glance left or right before lunging boldly onwards. At night...even in the wee hours...the lights continue to flash frenetically...but there's not a human in view...anywhere... It's an erie sight...as if the ghosts of those daytime crossers return at night to walk that stretch.
I took this picture of the flashers late at night as I was driving through campus...past the ghost intersection. I didn't use a flash...and find that the frenzy captured by the slowly shutting shutter mirrors a sense of the eeriness and franticness of the sleep deprived lights...