A Wal-Mart Observation

[Not_Giving_Up]

I have noticed something that seems to only occur at Wal-Mart. It's not just one Wal-Mart, but every one that I have ever been to.

The people going into or coming out of the store do not look for cars. They just walk across as though there is no chance that a motor vehicle might be coming.

When I was a child, I was taught that before crossing a street of any sort, including parking lot situations, I was to make eye contact with drivers to make sure that they saw me and to determine if they planned to stop or if I should stop.

These people have no concept of this. They just walk out in front of cars, expecting them to stop.

The same phenomenon does not take place at other stores in the area...only Wal-Mart. :wtf:

[RevCheesehead]

1. natural selection.

or, they're hoping for a potential lawsuit? :shrug:

[Not_Giving_Up]

4. Must be (either of those)

I can't find any other explanation.

[philosophie_en_rose]

2. It happens all of the time near my house --- by elementary students!

I'm not that old, but I was taught to look both ways. Pedestrians might have the right of way, but that won't help you when the car hits.

However, lots of little kids at a school by my house have no conception of danger. They'll just walk out in front of cars without caring. (They must see the cars).

It happens to me at the grocery store, as well.

[Not_Giving_Up]

3. Well, the kids around here are the same way

They play in the street, and they don't move when a car is coming. They make the car stop before they get out of the way. One little boy runs along side of the car...the speed limit in the park is 10 mph. Parents aren't teaching their kids to get out of the road. I wonder if they come in from the rain, or if they just stand there getting soaked.

I'm not that old either, I'm 33. My kids know not to obstruct traffic, and to look both ways before crossing a street.

The mind boggling thing for me is the adults at Wal-Mart who just jump out in front of cars.

[philosophie_en_rose]

5. Maybe they're looking for a lawsuit?

Being hit by a car going 5 miles per hour could be pretty lucrative...

Just speculation. Either that, or they can't comprehend danger after Walmart has finished sucking their souls out.

[Not_Giving_Up]

7. Possibly

I think they're just too damn lazy to teach their kids to stay out of the road.

[DS1]

6. They're assuming that any collisions with be non-lethal, and very

profitable.

[Not_Giving_Up]

8. That's great logic, isn't it?

If the car hits me, I won't be that badly hurt, but I will be hurt enough to get a lot of money.

E-fucking-gads.

[Strong Atheist]

9. My undergrad college also had this phenomenon...

of course, the "town" was surrounded by the college; don't blink, or you'll miss it ...

[DS1]

15. That didn't happen to be Middlebury in VT?

Dumb rich kids walking around like the own the place.

[Strong Atheist]

17. Nope. Kenyon college, Gambier, Ohio. But otherwise the

same; Dumb rich DRUNK kids walking around like they own the place ...


Edited to add: being drunk requires more edits than normal ...

[Radical Activist]

10. Ever notice the stop signs?

I don't shop at Walmart anymore but the last time I drove by one they still had stop signs and big pedestrian crossing markers in front of the store. Pedestrians do have the right of way.

[Not_Giving_Up]

11. Wal-Marts around here do not have stop signs

Yes, I was taught that pedestrians have the right of way. However, if you're the pedestrian, you should make sure that the people driving know that you are there, and intend to cross.

Also, a lot of these people are not in the crosswalk. If they had to park somewhere in the middle, where there is no crosswalk (crosswalks are only leading to the doors), they cross where they please. They don't look, and sometimes, they come out of nowhere.

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. It happens at every store here....People just walk. On the other hand

it amazes me that so many cars blow those stop signs that are now placed at crosswalks in front of many stores. :wtf:

[Not_Giving_Up]

13. The Kroger close to me has stop signs and speed bumps

I have noticed that the bigger the SUV, the faster they take the speed bump.

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. I like how they do it at four way stops too...Nobody knows how to

treat four way stops anymore and that really bugs me as well. It's like playing chicken. :hi:

[Not_Giving_Up]

16. Wanna see people freak out?

Make the traffic lights blink red.

[stanwyck]

18. Wal-Mart creates zombies

shopping at one of their cramped, narrow-aisled jumbled up stores leads to zombification. Try to find a common item...like kitchen matches or a lock for you gym locker. It won't be in any logical section. It could be anywhere. The idea is that you have to continually search the messy, crowded store until your brain stops working. You then stumble from the store with a bunch of ridiculously cheap inane items you didn't plan to buy when you went in. And without whatever it was you needed.

[Lady Freedom]

23. I will be the first to tell you that it is a mind numbing experience!

There are times that, as you are leaving, you kinda want to get popped so you can see if you are still alive! I would love to know what causes that feeling in that store?

[Lady Freedom]

24. N/T

[Deja Q]

19. Honey, that shit is happenin' EVERYWHERE. I just came back from errands...

And these mindless filth are everywhere.

Hell, people don't do that WHILE DRIVING - I was stunned to see this shithead doing a right turn and nearly hit the car in front of me. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

I don't mind helping people. Or wanting to help people. The point of being "civilized" is to help those less fortunate and to help them improve themselves too.

But I do have a qualm against those so frigging obtuse they don't bother to look before crossing a busy road (whether they are pedestrian or driver). Yet the law blindly sides in their favor. (hell, anyone could deliberately jaywalk to the effect of halting traffic for several minutes and get away with it...)

Never mind how these self-obsessed twits don't bother to be considerate of others. We all make oversights, but sheesh - there comes a point where I will not tolerate it and tell the cretins to be a little more aware of others in the store... blocking the entire aisle while they preen or look at something or go the other way to find something else... I don't do this shit. I am mindful of others and damn well try to be. WHY CAN'T THEY? Do they feel like they own the whole world?

[hfojvt]

20. uh, as a driver

you seem not to have noticed that there is a stop sign right by the Wal-mart door.

Also, at Wal-mart you do not have to look at the car traffic. There is a constant stream of customers coming, breathing hard, and going. If it is safe for the other pedestrians to cross, then ergo, it must be safe for me to cross as well.

[Not_Giving_Up]

21. No stop signs at the Wal-Marts around me

I am familiar with the stream of people...but just because there are a brazillion of them doesn't mean that they shouldn't look.

[hfojvt]

26. apparently they trust the other people to look for them

and their trust is not ill-founded. I have not heard of very many stories of someone getting run over in a Wal-mart parking lot.

Maybe they just have good peripheral vision.

I bet the stop sign is there, or "stop" is painted on the asphalt.

Dad-burned inattentive drivers. :spank:

Check again. If it is not there, I owe you a drink. :donut:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

22. You haven't been to target lately?

Happens there too.
Duckie

[Not_Giving_Up]

25. Target has stop signs

And less business. The Target closest to me has a Wal-Mart across the street. On any given day, the Target is nearly empty, while the Wal-Mart is full. Less people crossing, less cars for them to watch for.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

29. So does walmart...

There are like 5 walmarts here in Oklahoma city. They ALL have stop signs.
Duckie

[JVS]

27. They know you're there. They just won't look.

This has been happening since drivers started interpreting eye contact (either with the vehicle or with the driver) as a pedestrian saying "Go ahead, I'll wait"

[Canadian Socialist]

28. I think it's parking lots in general

People enter a parking lot, and just like magic! The rules of the road disappear!