A Gender Generalization
Posted on | October 17, 2004 at 9:35 am | 10 Comments
I’ve been walking or running pretty much every morning for a year and a half or so. This has given me some insight into a peculiarity of human behavior that I wish to share. The fact that it seems to be split among gender lines is especially interesting to me…
Here’s the deal. This happens whenever I reach a minor intersection (i.e. one with or without a stop sign, not one with a traffic signal), have to cross the street, and a vehicle is also approaching the intersection from either direction at the same time. If the driver of the vehicle is male, he will always either wait for me to cross the street, wave me through the intersection, or wait and see what I am going to do (sometimes I will wave the driver through). If the driver of the vehicle is female, she will always ignore me (much like in other aspects of my life) and plow through the intersection regardless of what I do. If there’s a stop sign, the woman will pull all the way up the edge of the street (over the crosswalk if there is one) before stopping, not allowing me any room to pass in front.
It doesn’t bother me that much, since I’m as attentive a walker/runner as I am a driver and I try to be aware of all traffic patterns around me, even with the headphones on. And the drivers do have the right of way unless the intersection is marked. Although, as you runners know, it’s hard to stop and get going again when you’ve got that momentum going, so I wish to avoid doing that if at all possible. So I would like to know the reason for this, as the actions of the women drivers just seem rude to me. I could understand the guys always stopping if I were a buxom young female thing in a sports bra, but I’m a middle-aged guy in a sweatshirt or T-shirt, baseball cap, and shorts. It just seems like the women are always in a hurry to get somewhere, and the men have more patience. Or maybe women have worse peripheral vision and they can’t actually see me. Or maybe they’re paying attention to other things. Or maybe they just don’t care. Or maybe it’s a combination of those factors.
I will say it’s not totally universal – about one out of ten times, a guy will not pause and a woman will, but I think those are exceptions that prove the rule. Time of day and the amount of darkness/light at the time doesn’t seem to matter (I wear white/light colored clothing with reflective shoes). And who knows – maybe this is just something peculiar to the people who live in my area and it’s not universal across the land. Colorado, aside from Boulder, is not real hospitable to pedestrians and bicyclists. I do know that when I drive, I will always pause and let pedestrians by, and that sometimes upsets impatient (women) drivers behind me. So at least I know where I’m coming from when I’m on that other side.
So, what’s up with this? Flasshe wants to know.
Latre.
Comments
10 Responses to “A Gender Generalization”
October 18th, 2004 @ 5:38 pm
Pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way here in CA, so I always stop, regardless of the person’s gender, lest I run the risk of getting a ticket.
October 18th, 2004 @ 6:18 pm
Yes, but if it weren’t illegal, would you always stop? I know how aggressive you California drivers are… it scares poor little old country boy me!
October 19th, 2004 @ 8:25 am
I am a jogger and a female driver, and I have never noticed gender-deliniated jerkishness on our roads and crosswalks here in pedestrian-unaware Ohio. All drivers are equally likely to act boorishly toward pedestrians and bicyclists.
Back when I was far more faithful about taking a morning constitutional than I now am, I used to carry several photocopies of a page from the Ohio Revised Code in my jacket pocket, to hand to idiot jerk motorists of any gender who cut me off and endangered my life:
? 4511.441. Pedestrian on sidewalk has right-of-way.
(A) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian on a sidewalk.
also:
? 4511.46. Pedestrian on crosswalk has right-of-way.
(A) When traffic control signals are not in place, not in operation, or are not clearly assigning the right-of-way, the driver of a vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar shall yield the right of way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield or if required by section 4511.132 of the Revised Code, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.
October 19th, 2004 @ 8:46 am
In Brooklyn, no one stops for stop signs, whether there’s a pedestrian in the walkway or not, even though the law says that pedestrians have the right of way. They barely stop for red lights. So my observations will not help you, but they might make you glad you live somewhere where at least 50% of the population comes to a full halt at the big red sign.
October 19th, 2004 @ 9:41 am
I found this in the Colorado Driver’s Handbook: "When driving, you should yield the right-of-way to pedestrians under all circumstances. Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections and crosswalks. Drivers must come to a complete stop and let the person pass safely." But obviously it’s a "soft law" and is not followed if not convenient, sort of like how most drivers I’ve seen out in the early morning pretty much ignore stop signs (and sometimes red lights) entirely if they think no one is there to see them run them.
Paula, are you saying that New Yorkers are rude? I thought the city image was changing…
October 19th, 2004 @ 2:29 pm
The specific practice of not stopping for pedestrians is demonstrated in both Brooklyn & Manhattan (can’t speak for the other boroughs), but in Manhattan, pedestrians are just as bold as the drivers, walking right through "don’t walk" signs, giving drivers the finger, etc. In Brooklyn, for some reason, the pedestrians seem to cower more, and yield to the cars even when they have the right-o-way. Possibly cuz the cars carry passengers who are toting AK-47s.
October 20th, 2004 @ 8:33 am
huh.
both as a cyclist and as a pedestrian, both in boston and in dc and its environs, i have very much found the reverse of Rog’s initial observation to be true — men are more likely to ignore non-auto traffic, and women are more likely to stop/wait/wave. i’ll go further: younger men are more likely to ignore than older. there’s probably a placebo effect with drivers of black SUVs with tinted windows, but it sure seems like they’re jerkier than anything else. (i’m pretty sure they’re skewed toward male, too)
boston drivers as a whole are much more respectful of the rights of non-auto traffic … which still confuses me. i found it simpler when the best rule was to assume they were all trying to kill you.
October 20th, 2004 @ 9:21 am
Hmmm, maybe it really is a regional thing. Also, I tend to do most of my running pretty early in the morning, and maybe don’t encounter a lot of younger drivers, just the older ones commuting to work.
That’s odd that Boston drivers are respectful – I’ve always found the traffic there to be pretty bad. Though I haven’t been to Boston in several years so maybe that has changed.
October 20th, 2004 @ 9:45 am
well, when i say boston i mean mostly cambridge/somerville — i’m not actually downtown so much. but the analogy holds true vs dc — actually, in dc, the suburban drivers were worse than the downtown drivers (from a non-auto respect standpoint).
there are signs everywhere here advising that failing to yield to pedestrians is a $100 ticket … so maybe that has a real deterrent effect?
October 20th, 2004 @ 9:48 am
Send some of those signs out here! Drivers need reminding. Of course, we probably don’t have that $100 fine here. Right-of-way for pedestrians may exist in law, but it doesn’t appear to be enforced.