Wednesday 4 March 2020

So, You Didn't See The Huge Bus Bearing Down On You..?

Louise, who works at Roots Research in Grand Parade, said there were no signs to warn pedestrians about a new alternative lane layout, and the pedestrian crossing machine was not working.
She said: “I was leaving work to get some lunch and was crossing the road where I usually do.
“Normally there are two lanes going in the same direction towards London Road, and so I didn’t look that way because there’s normally no traffic coming from that direction.
“I heard a man shouting something and then I was hit, side on.”
Louise, who lives in Helena Close, Portslade, said she put her arm down to steady herself and her wrist was broken in two places.
She said: “Luckily I didn’t hit my head.
“The bus driver came out and I was just sat there in shock, feeling sick.
I’m annoyed at myself for not looking, but if there were working lights or a ‘look both ways’ sign, this would not have happened.
“We walk across that road every day to get lunch and are always saying how ridiculous it is.
“It was an accident waiting to happen.”
...but you'd definitely, positively have seen the signs, if they'd been there?

8 comments:

bloke in Germany said...

Close, but no Darwin award.

MTG 1 said...

If she had been just a little dumber, she could have joined Sussex police herself.

(With apologies to Brian Helgeland.)

Dr Evil said...

Always look right, look left, look right again and if all is clear cross the road. This was drilled into us as children via parents and public information films and latterly the Green Cross Code man. Nothing on TV for years since then.

Bucko said...

If she thought it was an accident waiting to happen, why did she let it happen? Why did she not look both ways and take care when crossing. Silly cow

Anonymous said...

To be fair to the woman, people do get habituated to their environment, and humans may act in a 'subconsciously competent' way for long periods of time. This happens, I have to say, for many commuters who arrive at work with no clear recollection of the journey.

As an academic at a University, I had a lot to do with foreign students. In a busy city centre, with regular streams of cars, they had no difficulty looking in the right direction for oncoming cars. However, during a geology field trip, they would inevitably look the wrong way when leaving the coach, or when crossing what seemed to them to be an empty road.

Perhaps this particular woman's case verges on the stupid side, but I case see why it happens, and I have more sympathy than you do, Julia.

Lord T said...

I too have a little bit of sympathy. We are creatures of habit and planners change road layouts from the standard flow to some artistic flow which causes confusion. Ironically in the case it was a change to the standard that caused the issue.

It seems to me she knew there was a change but for some reason she was distracted and that coincided with a bus coming. She probably has done it before but with no bus she wouldn't even have noticed. Happens to us all.

I find it hard the believe there are no signs though. Every time there are changes like this here the signs are up for about 2 years. However, you soon become immune to them as well.

Anonymous said...

See! As always it's somebody else to blame. Situation normal.

JuliaM said...

"Close, but no Darwin award."

Heh!

"This was drilled into us as children via parents and public information films and latterly the Green Cross Code man. Nothing on TV for years since then."

Just the clever shifting of personal responsibility onto everyone else.

"If she thought it was an accident waiting to happen, why did she let it happen?"

A damn good point!

"To be fair to the woman, people do get habituated to their environment..."

When the environment includes a road, that's a recipe for disaster!

"We are creatures of habit and planners change road layouts from the standard flow to some artistic flow which causes confusion."

I fail to see how any of that stops your eyes working...?