Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site wdl1.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!tektronix!hplabs!hpda!fortune!wdl1!jbn From: jbn@wdl1.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: crosswalks Message-ID: <479@wdl1.UUCP> Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 17:15:22 EDT Article-I.D.: wdl1.479 Posted: Wed Jul 10 17:15:22 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Jul-85 03:38:50 EDT Sender: notes@wdl1.UUCP Organization: Ford Aerospace, Western Development Laboratories Lines: 25 Nf-ID: #N:wdl1:3600024:000:1376 Nf-From: wdl1!jbn Jul 10 13:00:00 1985 England has a useful institution called the zebra crossing. A zebra crossing is a crosswalk in which pedestrians have absolute priority. Not all crosswalks are zebra crossings. Zebra crossings are special. Zebra crossings are marked with huge white stripes, black poles with flashing orange globes both at the sides and center of the roadway, zigzag lines in the road approaching the crossing, and provided with special treatment of the approaching roadway to improve braking in wet weather. Bad things happen to drivers who violate the rules of the zebra crossing. I saw a Mercedes driver try to drive through a zebra crossing in use by pedestrians a few weeks ago, in London near Marble Arch. A woman on the curb nearby wearing a blue uniform with shoulderboards reading ``Traffic Warden'' stepped out into the street and started blowing a whistle and motioning for the driver to stop. The driver didn't; this was a serious mistake; the traffic warden began issuing instructions into a microphone clipped to her jacket; in a few seconds there were sirens in the distance and before getting a block the Mercedes had been pulled over by two police cars. Within a few minutes the driver was taken away in a police wagon and the car was towed away by a tow truck. Zebra crossings seem to be carefully respected by most drivers. John Nagle