Andy BFeb 28

I'm reading a thread on /r/melbourne about traffic lights. Fuckwits in there very proudly proclaiming they're great drivers with full knowledge of the road rules ... and then spouting things which are very much NOT road rules and insisting they're correct because it's the way they've always done it.

Jesus fucking Christ I hate people.

Show threadBrialaFeb 28
@andyb There is a particular rule around pedestrians that a lot of NSW drivers get wrong. I've tempted multiple times to post on my local FB group about it but it feels like such a powder keg.
Show threadAndy BFeb 28
@static What's the rule in this case?
Show threadI love this, so IFeb 28
@andyb @static is it the one where you must give way to pedestrians crossing a side street when you’re turning into that street?
Show threadBrialaFeb 28

@jpm @andyb Yep. That's the one. And cars have right-of-way when they're turning out.

Roundabouts are an exception - cars always have the right-of-way.

Show threadAndy B

@static @jpm Nope, wrong!

Under Australian law, no one has "right of way".

Instead, the road laws state who must give way. It's very much obligation vs entitlement, and an important distinction in legal terms.

#pedantry

Feb 28 at 11:35pmWeb
Show threadBrialaFeb 28
@andyb @jpm I'm not sure I understand the difference? What does it mean in practice?
Show threadAndy BFeb 28

@static @jpm I'm not a law-talking-guy, however the best way I can explain it is this:

"right of way" is entitlement. "must give way to" is obligation. All of our road rules are written in an obligation sense - who must give way, and not in a sense of who has absolute entitlement.

A lot of Australian laws aren't "entitlement" based, but instead "obligation" based. I don't really know how this plays out in a strict legal definition context, just I do know saying "right of way" is very wrong.

Show threadBrialaFeb 28
@andyb @jpm Ah. A legal distinction. I was definitely thinking in terms of when the car must give way to the pedestrian. I wasn't aware thus isn't quite technically the same as the pedestrian has right-of-way.
Show threadAndy BFeb 28

@static @jpm I have a fun related story:

When I was younger I knew a young lady who has involved in a collision. The other car failed to give way, however the young lady didn't do anything to avoid the collision. Had she done so, it may have been avoided or not as damaging to either vehicle.

Donut patrol attended and she told them she saw the vehicle and the possibility of a collision but didn't take action as "she had right of way". Police ended up giving her a ticket for something, as well as the other driver. Also, she told her insurance the same thing and they were very much "lol nope fuckoff.jpg". For years she maintained she was 100% not at fault because "I hAd RiGhT oF wAy1!!!!!!11111one!!!11!" and would not be told otherwise.

Haven't seen or heard from her in years. Wonder what she's up to today.