"Nate Nagel" > wrote in message
...
> Tim923 wrote:
>
>> It seems that cars in my new town don't look out for pedestrians as
>> much as in my old town. Does this vary from state to state?
>
> Let me guess, you grew up in a place like Bethesda where SOP is "step into
> road, let drivers stop for you." Fortunately, it's not like that
> everywhere.

I took a visit to Nanaimo BC last year. I was looking to cross a 4-lane
street (2 lanes in each direction). I was at a marked crosswalk with no
signal and the traffic was heavy. I put one foot--just one size 11
shoe--off the curb into the street, and immediately all traffic stopped,
from both directions. It was like watching a cartoon--they all just stopped
on a dime! I crossed, and they moved on like nothing had happened.

Here in Portland, I could be at a crosswalk at a controlled intersection,
crossing with the light, and I'm still taking my life into my own hands.