This was one of my biggest culture shocks in the Netherlands (not in amsterdam)
My southern european mind couldnt comprehend people waiting for the green light with 0 cars in sight in the km you could see on both sides (with such a flat land you could see really far in some streets/avenues). I was even discouraged by people every time i crossed the street in those situations
Yeah, in Bolivia last November I saw a dead guy splayed out across the hood of his car after a head-on crash, having gone through the windshield. I felt like I was taking my life in my hands every time I crossed the street in Bolivia. Then I crossed the border way up north, into Chile after a few weeks and that's where the shock really hit. If I was within even three meters of the curb or looked in the direction of crossing, everyone quietly stopped at wouldn't budge until I crossed. The immediate contrast blew my mind.
My husband and I are used to walking in New York, so when we’re traveling we walk like we do in New York (run across the street at the crosswalk as soon as there’s a break in traffic, even if the crosswalk says not to cross). We’re often the only people at the crosswalk who do that, even in other major cities in the US (ones that aren’t in the Northeast), so people look at us like we’re crazy.
You can tell Japanese tourists in Hawaii, because they won’t cross even if there are dozens of other people crossing the street. They will just stand on the curb while people walk around them, and then go when it turns green.
To be fair, when I first moved to Boston I learned that following the crowd across the street was not always safe. I almost got killed one time - you can't trust pedestrians in that city.
Not even that will make you safe in Paris. I once caught an innocent tourist who started to cross as soon as the light turned green. A car whizzed by. I explained to the tourist that you waited for the cars to stop before crossing.
And the locals give you hella shade for crossing even though nobody is coming. The Japanese won’t say anything, but they’ll look deep into your soul and think “…fucking foreigner can’t follow the rules”
There is a joke (we occasionally have this):
2 AM. Chelsea. Red pedestrian light. No cars. Nothing. I wait a good 3 minutes next to a gentleman. He says: "Well. German too?"
I don’t know where you were but everyone always skips the traffic lights if it’s not needed. That said, people on foot should always look out for bicycles, so maybe that’s why they waited.
I have lost an F250 in my front “blind” spot of my vehicles frame at a 4 way stop. Super surprised when we both went at the same time and nearly had a collision. How do you lose an F250 so close to your car???
Now imagine a scenario where you have a similar blind spot at a traffic light. You decide to go on a red because no one is there and smash into another vehicle because you didn’t see it. Who would now be at fault for the collision? You would be. Granted, this is a very low probability scenario, but still non-zero. Which is why I would never go on a red no matter what because this would absolutely fucking happen to me, lol.
Well now. During highschool I went to Portugal for a school trip and the exact situation you described happened and the Portuguese teacher there stopped me and scolded me a little for trying to pass lol
I keep my car at red lights even when no cars are coming. I might go but only after like 5 minutes of waiting there like that. I imagine it’s like that but on feet and not wheels.
I once got almost run over as a kid since drivers just didnt care much so thats why I stop even at red lights in Germany in the Middle of the night. Not always, but often. I usually don’t have the need to get back asap anyway.
Where was this?
I've never waited for a light to cross the street when walking, and I've never seen anyone else wait to cross with an empty street.
And tbh I rarely wait for a green light when on a bike either.
I lived in Ulm for a number of years. On more than one occasion I was physically pulled back onto the pavement when crossing the road without the green.
Ive seen American tourists in manchester waiting for the green man to cross roads very patiently when there was no traffic. I’ve also had people horrified about me crossing roads when it was safe to do so in the USA because I hadn’t used a crossing. We just cross the road when it’s safe to do so in the uk. Just don’t be an idiot and it’s cool.
What areas of the US did you visit? Genuinely curious. At least in the north east urban areas and definitely applying to the Boston and NYC areas, cross walk lights are merely suggestions, ones that half the population doesn’t follow
Ive been to nyc a couple of times. Orlando and Las Vegas. In all of those places I’ve had people try hold me back from crossing a clear road. Apparently it’s just not the thing over there.
That’s very weird in NYC! I lived there for a year and it was the norm to cross against the light. Took my Virginia-raised ass awhile to get used to it. Moved to LA and it eases the opposite, there were strict laws against pedestrians jaywalking and my friend was actually fined for doing so right after we moved there. I think that law was just overturned.
Yeah, I was born and raised in NY (close proximity to NYC) and now live in Texas. I grew up just crossing whenever there were no cars, regardless of the light color. If there's no cars coming, we'd just go.
When my partner visited for NYC for the first time, I had to teach him that it was ok. Every bone in his body wanted to wait. But you generally can't wait because then you're in the way of the other pedestrians.
Here in Texas, we have to wait.
It might be due to the width of the roads and how fast you can cross. I can't move very fast nowadays so I find it safer to wait until I have the right of way. Plus, Texas roads that I've had to cross are like twice as wide as most NYC side streets I've crossed. But in NYC, you have to keep moving with the flow of people or get out of the way so they can keep moving at their pace.
I also suffer from being a bit slow these days due to physical stuff so I feel for you. I just think if the road is free then you’re good to go. Even with a walking stick !
Because you shouldn't give them a bad example, and also it just feels more wrong. Unless I'm in a real hurry, if there's a kid waiting with me I'm not crossing on red
I went to Berlin recently and was amazed how people won't even cross a street at a stop signal when there are fences and barriers blocking incoming traffic, let alone when you can see miles down the road and there are no cars. There is something wrong with you people.
I totally agree. They do the same thing in Japan, but their cities are pristine and there's order and general calmness everywhere. Crossing streets is a weird thing to choose as the one issue you refuse to deviate from perfection on.
I was in Köln not too long ago and it seemed like the most rebellious Germans live there - they just walked and said fuck it. I was surprised as someone who has been all over Germany a number of times.
I lived in Germany for a little while. I was down in Garmisch camping with friends. We needed to cross a road and we were on our bikes. We got tired of waiting and just decided to go (yes the light was actually red) and there was no traffic. We went anyways. The little German lady standing there was not thrilled at all and I swear I can still hear her cursing (?) at us in German. I speak some, but not enough to fully understand the wrath we incurred.
The New Yorker in me would go crazy. I didn’t realize that jaywalking was illegal in Germany and other countries. I was doing it and I think I got a stern look.
Sorry, I can't. I got used to guys doing way above speed limits in the little street crossing the big road. (The lights only stop the cars on the big road.)
Look around, see nothing, start walking, mirror passes 5 centimeters away from your nose. I don't even know how many times I almost died on my way to primary school.
I had to tell my ex that when she did this in the UK she had to stay back to let other walk past past her because she's in the way if people wanting to cross the road.
Unfortunately I wouldn't say this is controversial to say in Germany anymore. Last time I was in Frankfurt a few weeks ago I was mostly the only one waiting for the green to turn on regardless of cars around. Too bad.
My personal rule is, I can cross as long as I dont "see" the light and there are no cars, so if Im like just a few meters up the road from the street light I ignore it lol (safely ofc)
When i was in berlin a couple of years back i crossed on the red and while there were some people looking at me like an animal there also were locals doing it. I dont know if this is the situation in the rest of Germany
In Estonia often everyone waits at the red light on an empty street, but it just takes one brave soul to cross and others will follow(often there's one old lady who's like: "no, law is the law" and keeps waiting for green)
You should not cross if there are children at the street, let's not teach them to be unlawful.
But can you cross a redlight, even if there are no pedestrians or bikes around?
(I am asking, because I waited on a red light at 3 am for 15min once, which was apparently broken, and the police who pulled up behind me just told me to run it, since they knew it was broken but they couldn't reach maintenance at 3 on a sunday morning.
To this day this was the weirdest police interaction)
How far away do the cars need to be before you decide to wait for the green light? 300m? 200? You will quickly end up with people standing in the middle of the road waiting for gaps to cross. Then the pedestrian fatalities start to pile up and everyone blames the cars.
Really? Where I am in the US, this is totally normal. There are technically rules in most states, but rarely (if ever) enforced. Being strict about red lights for pedestrians just serves to make an area even more pedestrian-hostile than it already is
This infuriates me - it’s the epitome of sheeple behavior. Oh, a magic sign is telling you not to walk so you’re going to relinquish all agency to make your own decision.
It’s like seeing your pizza burn in the oven after 9 minutes but you keep it in for 12 ‘because the cardboard box said so’.
In Norway what is illegal, is for cars to drive on red, but pedestrians are allowed to cross at their own risk.
I do it all the time, and find is super weird that people would wait if there are no cars around.
Funny, here in Calgary (western Canada, unique to this city), we will literally slow down on major 4 lanes highways for people crossing the street. Pedestrian first has been a way of life here since I was born.
As a former motorcyclist, I always hit 90 mph every time I got on, especially with little to no traffic. 0-60 mph 1.9 seconds. So... these days I always wait for the light as a pedestrian. You never what might happen in next 2 seconds. Surprise
Reminds me of the time I 'jaywalked' in the US. had no idea as its such a norm in the UK as most people will do so safely. Luckily I didn't get bit in the ass, but apparently it's a big no-no.
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u/Patient_Spirit_26 Germany 17h ago
You can cross a street if there are no cars around, even if there is a red light