Stop wearing black at night

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Sunday, February 5. 2017

Stop wearing black at night

A note to you people who walk on the side of the road, or cross the road, between dusk and dawn in black coats, dark pants, and dark hats: One of these days I will hit you with my car, and it will ruin both of our lives.

Please stop it. You are invisible to me. When I am driving, I am not looking for people in the road. You road people have to make yourselves obvious to me. Cars have rear lights for a reason. I have already had a couple of close calls this winter and when roads are slippery it is even more dangerous. If you must wear black, all it takes is a strip of reflector tape or one of those light things to keep yourself safe and to keep me from a mess.

Posted by The Barrister in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 12:37 | Comments (11) | Trackbacks (0)

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I have seen too much of this behavior this winter. People are dressing in black or dark clothing at dusk and walking with their backs to instead of facing traffic.

I don't want to be your method of suicide, and no, the reflective spots on your shoes are not enough, especially in foggy or rainy conditions.

#1 tnxplant on 2017-02-05 12:51 (Reply)

Add to that folks who walk in the street when there's a perfectly good sidewalk available. (Or even a beaten path off the roadway proper.)

#2 OldFert on 2017-02-05 13:02 (Reply)

Reflective vests are pretty cheap. I paid $6-7 for mine.

#3 Sam L. on 2017-02-05 13:28 (Reply)

To quote Neal Stephenson, from the book Zodiac:

“If you've put yourself in a position where someone has to see you in order for you to be safe--to see you, and to give a f*k - you've already blown it.”

The thing this nitwits are doing wrong isn't wearing black/dark colors. It's generally being unaware of their surroundings and acting in a manner that is unsafe regardless of the clothing they are wearing.

#4 William O. B'Livion on 2017-02-05 13:44 (Reply)

I walk on the left side shoulder. You people in your cars are not supposed to be over there. Stay in the right lane. If you are driving on the left shoulder reflective clothing is not going to stop you from hitting me

#4.1 bgarrett on 2017-02-06 09:01 (Reply)

Don't be Obviously Oblivious, B'Livion. With all due respect to Neal Stephenson, tens of millions of people put themselves on roads daily, their safety relying on being seen by others who give a f*k about not hitting or hurting them, perhaps in some law-enforced Golden Rule, but cooperatively traveling in close proximity at high speeds. To wit, your contrary statement does not negate the danger of being invisible and in harm's way as a result.

Almost 50 years ago I had one of those close calls in Germany on a country road in dense fog in the dark. An old lady dressed in a long black dress and bonnet was pushing a bicycle on the right side of the road, no lights or reflectors, with her body out in the road rather than the bicycle. I saw her barely long enough to miss her, and the dark and fog swallowed her up before my rear bumper cleared her. It was a fraction of a second that has never left me as a cautionary lesson, and as a frightful instant that hit like a hammer.

#5 twolaneflash on 2017-02-05 14:32 (Reply)

Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen.

Unfortunately, this would required the average pedestrian to have reflective or light-colored outwear in his wardrobe, and not ruin it by washing it in hot water with all his other earth toned dirt-colored clothing. Apparently these folks would rather be dead hipsters than live squares.

#6 Mike Anderson (Link) on 2017-02-05 14:35 (Reply)

And put that iPhone away so you can be more situationally aware.

#7 gman on 2017-02-05 14:46 (Reply)

"One of these days I will hit you with my car, and it will ruin both of our lives."

I hear you! One time I was driving in Decatur at nightfall and I almost ran down a woman in a wheelchair. Seriously. I almost had a heart attack. She was on the side of the road without a sidewalk (there was sidewalk on the other side of the street - not uncommon in Atlanta) and she was in an area of darkness in between the streetlights.

When I had recovered a bit, I noticed that this wheelchair-bound person was dressed in head-to-toe black, including a black watch cap, and that her wheelchair was also painted black!!! I don't know if it was a death wish or just some seriously passive-aggressive behavior. The fear and adrenaline took about two hours to wear off.

#8 JM01 on 2017-02-05 15:20 (Reply)

In the SF bay area there's an epidemic of people who do not check left or right before crossing the street. Add to that listening to something via earbuds, dark clothes, walking in the streets, waiting at the corner standing half off the curb. It's crazy scary out there.

#9 Frisco Scooter Trash on 2017-02-06 11:29 (Reply)

Heh. Pet peeve of anyone who drives in Jerusalem due to the "ultra" Orthodox - who not only dress in black, but largely do not drive cars and therefore have no idea they are endangering themselves.

#10 Ben David on 2017-02-06 13:49 (Reply)

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Sunday, February 5. 2017

Stop wearing black at night