this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2026
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Fuck Cars

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A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

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[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 36 points 23 hours ago (6 children)

Here in Denmark I can basically just jump in front of a moving car on a crosswalk (one without traffic lights) and if the car so much as touches me they risk losing their driver's licence.

I know The Netherlands is the same like that. Not sure about other EU countries.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 8 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

The French will try to run you over, and the Italians actively speed up when they see a pedestrian.

In the UK you actually do have to stop and people do even Audi drivers stop sometimes.

[–] jaennaet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

even Audi drivers stop sometimes.

This sounds outlandish, I'm not sure I believe you. What about BMW drivers? Don't tell me even they stop for pedestrians?

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Outlandish is the idea of them using their turn signal.

[–] jaennaet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

"Using the turn signal is giving information to the enemy", every Audi and BMW driver ever.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 points 14 hours ago

In SEA, the vehicles don't stop, but they will try to go around you. So the key is to walk at a constant pace.

[–] timestatic@feddit.org 14 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

In Germany I'd say in nearly all occasions cars would stop if I actively walk towards the crosswalk. If I just stand on the side and look and wait its not that uncommon that cars still don't yield even if they should

[–] Frostbeard@lemmy.world 7 points 15 hours ago

Same in Norway. The moment the walker puts a foot on the crossing they have the right of way.

Remember when at uni a exchange student from Luxembourg and one from Russia was discussing that one big cultural shock for them was how cars stopped at crossings in Norway. I drive quite a lot and its so ingrained in me to watch for walkers and to yield if they want to cross,

[–] fritobugger2017@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Yeah, it seems like if you even look like you might be approaching the crosswalk, the cars come to a halt in Germany.

In the USA, cars will actively run you over in the crosswalk and likely face no negative consequences.

[–] zener_diode@feddit.org 4 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

It's important to note here, that in Germany (at least, the region where I live) you will fail the practical driving exam if you don't stop at a crosswalk with any pedestrian within about 5 meters, unless they are actively walking away from it.

I think overall German driver's education is significantly better (and much more expensive) than in the US.

[–] timestatic@feddit.org 2 points 2 hours ago

It will be reformed soon tho. I hope they find the right balance between cutting costs and keeping good practices in driving education tho

[–] bridgeburner@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

Makes me wonder then why crosswalks even exis in the first place in the US. Like then what's the point of them? Literally no difference to crossing the street at any other point which doesn't have a crosswalk. Would literally play out the same.

[–] Riverside@reddthat.com -1 points 13 hours ago

In my experience it's comparable in Spain, if not slightly better

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

The graveyard is filled with people who had the right of way.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Only in countries that lack sever consequence.

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

In the US, you can only get them to stop if you get hit. And that's only a maybe.

Pedestrians and bicycles aren't even second class citizens in the states.

[–] ignotum@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

It's the same where I live, and yet i have been almost run over twice in the last two weeks alone