September 17, 2012-The worst drivers in the City of San Francisco are usually the "professional drivers," these are people that make a living either by driving all day or driving to and from different locations. I am not talking about normal stupid acts of...quick with the horn, wavering in and out of traffic, sudden stops, blocking traffic lane, illegal left turns or u-turns, running or jumping the signal light, and the signature final act---flipping the finger or mouthing the magic word "_ _ _ _ing idiot!" I have seen my share of these from MUNI drivers, transit drivers, commuters van drivers, para transit drivers, cab drivers, limo drivers, delivery drivers, service drivers, construction drivers, and the other day garbage truck drivers. I have included tour bus drivers to the equation, especially the one I encounter this morning. It is not the normal stupid acts that irksome, but the blandly disregards act in violation of the California motor vehicle codes.
The time is 8:38 a.m.. the location: intersection of Broadway & Powell Street. I was standing on the South-East side corner crosswalk of Powell Street awaiting for the pedestrians signal lights to turn green in order to cross Broadway, standing next to me were many parents & youngsters awaiting to cross the street to the left side "Jean Parker Elementary School" at 840 Broadway. Vehicles traffic were flowing in both directions along Broadway, and a tour bus van was stopped behind the white crosswalk line in the left turn outlet lane. The light turned green and we all started to cross Broadway and I noticed the tour bus suddenly bolted across the intersection to make the left turn. The school crossing guard yelled out and the tour bus nearly hit a car traveling southbound on Powell, whom was honking his horn. The tour bus double parked by the corner as I noticed two tourist-like people (did not have the normal San Franciscan's DNA) running for the bus on the other side crosswalk.
I ran over to take the following:
It was an "Extranomical Tours" bus, vehicle #1115, TCP#18350, license #52849B1, driven by a Caucasian driver. Many newspapers do not mention the ethnicity of perpetrator due to the new rule of being politically correct, but I am not selling newspaper or advertisements---just an eye-witness account.
The driver is an idiot or maybe just stupid? The light sequences at that intersection are the following: traffic along Broadway, heading toward the Embarcadero-from Marin county to financial district, pass through the Broadway tunnel to first signal lights at the intersection of Powell Street. There is a left turn outlet lane to Powell Street at the intersection. A red light at the intersection stopped all Broadway traffic in both directions, which allows the cross traffic in both directions along Powell Street to pass through. The next signal light would be for the Broadway traffic heading down toward Embarcedero with a green lights for traffic to proceed down Broadway and a green arrow for the left turn onto Powell Street. Traffic in the opposite direction along Broadway and pedestrians on relevant crosswalk are stopped by red light so that vehicles can safely turn left. The left turn green arrow stayed on for about 15 to 20 seconds and then turned red, and the traffic heading toward Marin county into the Broadway tunnel gets the green lights to proceed. I first thought maybe the driver misread the signal as if it had the "Left Turn Yield On Green" sign, but he was stopped behind the white crosswalk lines and was not already stopped within the intersection. In hindsight he was just an idiot!
Many of the walking buddies refuse to come along with my walk through Chinatown, but if I said today we are taking the seaside tour they are happy to tag along. They claims I have this bad habit of running into so many unbelievable predicaments. I told them you heard about guys being "chick-magnet" well I am a "idiot-magnet." I told one of my buddy what happened and he asked me if I yelled at the driver like that school crossing guard did. I told him why bother, since ever try reasoning with a idiot!
The time is 8:38 a.m.. the location: intersection of Broadway & Powell Street. I was standing on the South-East side corner crosswalk of Powell Street awaiting for the pedestrians signal lights to turn green in order to cross Broadway, standing next to me were many parents & youngsters awaiting to cross the street to the left side "Jean Parker Elementary School" at 840 Broadway. Vehicles traffic were flowing in both directions along Broadway, and a tour bus van was stopped behind the white crosswalk line in the left turn outlet lane. The light turned green and we all started to cross Broadway and I noticed the tour bus suddenly bolted across the intersection to make the left turn. The school crossing guard yelled out and the tour bus nearly hit a car traveling southbound on Powell, whom was honking his horn. The tour bus double parked by the corner as I noticed two tourist-like people (did not have the normal San Franciscan's DNA) running for the bus on the other side crosswalk.
I ran over to take the following:
The driver is an idiot or maybe just stupid? The light sequences at that intersection are the following: traffic along Broadway, heading toward the Embarcadero-from Marin county to financial district, pass through the Broadway tunnel to first signal lights at the intersection of Powell Street. There is a left turn outlet lane to Powell Street at the intersection. A red light at the intersection stopped all Broadway traffic in both directions, which allows the cross traffic in both directions along Powell Street to pass through. The next signal light would be for the Broadway traffic heading down toward Embarcedero with a green lights for traffic to proceed down Broadway and a green arrow for the left turn onto Powell Street. Traffic in the opposite direction along Broadway and pedestrians on relevant crosswalk are stopped by red light so that vehicles can safely turn left. The left turn green arrow stayed on for about 15 to 20 seconds and then turned red, and the traffic heading toward Marin county into the Broadway tunnel gets the green lights to proceed. I first thought maybe the driver misread the signal as if it had the "Left Turn Yield On Green" sign, but he was stopped behind the white crosswalk lines and was not already stopped within the intersection. In hindsight he was just an idiot!
Many of the walking buddies refuse to come along with my walk through Chinatown, but if I said today we are taking the seaside tour they are happy to tag along. They claims I have this bad habit of running into so many unbelievable predicaments. I told them you heard about guys being "chick-magnet" well I am a "idiot-magnet." I told one of my buddy what happened and he asked me if I yelled at the driver like that school crossing guard did. I told him why bother, since ever try reasoning with a idiot!
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