May 9, 2011-The city of San Francisco have a long history of pitting two "Quality of Life" fractions---motorists versus pedestrians. The "motorists" are the city's cash cow to fill its revenue coffers, while the "pedestrians" are the city's pawn for better safety measures...only in the forefront when death and injuries occurred!
One of the worst offender of "City's Bad Driver" happen to be the 'Professional Driver.' These are the drivers whom main livelihood are driving a vehicle. These are the drivers that should knows all the rules in the California Vehicle Code. These are also the drivers that knows all the short-cuts and illegal maneuvers of driving in the City. Who are these 'Professional Driver'...the MUNI drivers, transit drivers, tour bus drivers, charter bus drivers, school bus drivers, taxi drivers, airport shuttle drivers, para transit drivers, construction drivers, maintenance drivers, utilities drivers and delivery drivers. There are also the 'Semi-Professional Driver'...pizza delivery drivers, commuter van pool drivers and soccer Mom's drivers!
Just yesterday Sunday evening at about 5:45 p.m., as I stood on the west corner of Taylor & Columbus awaiting for the green light to cross Columbus. This is one of numerous City's unknown hazard intersections, because it's basically a "Y" intersections with Taylor, Chestnut & Columbus. The traffic signal sequences are Columbus, Taylor and then Chestnut. On both directions of Chestnut Street are signs posted for "No Turn on Red," because of the Powell/Mason cable car line coming out of Taylor Street and turning left onto Columbus Street. This evening as I was about to cross Columbus, a taxi cab on Chestnut turned right on the red light, as one car about to turn left from Taylor and another car behind it about to cross into Chestnut on the green light. Luckily both vehicles from Taylor Street noticed the foolish cab driver and stopped to honk their horns. I stopped walking as the taxi veered in front of my path as he flipped the fingers at the other motorists. Typical 'Professional Driver' protocol---make a illegal maneuver and then acknowledge your intelligent with one's hand.
This morning at 8:04 a.m., as I was walking along Mason Street toward Bay Street to await the green signal light to cross. I noticed at the corner of my left eye a tour bus was slowly inching across the crosswalk on the red light. My first thought maybe the bus brakes were bad or the driver not paying attention. I took out my trusted camera:
The bus stopped...clearly in the middle of the crosswalk. The driver might be sleepy, since I watched him reached for a cup of coffee nearby his seat.
These two 'Professional Drivers' are better entitled "Professional Idiots." Both drivers can be cited on VC22526A Entering Marked Crosswalk with a fine of $90, but this is San Francisco---the Home of Selective Enforcement or non-Enforcement.
