Photo: Cars magically stop when Tucson police watching

February 20, 2013 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

Luci and I use this crosswalk at Second Street and Euclid Avenue when we are running late. Luci’s school is on the other side of Euclid and with the construction on University Boulevard, this intersection has become the fastest way across the street.

Yesterday morning police officers setup at the intersection to catch speeders.

I spent a few minutes watching as people crossed the street with the police sitting at the intersection.

I saw a huge difference in how quickly people stopped. Often drivers speed through the intersection without stopping for pedestrians waiting to cross.

Yesterday morning was a different story entirely. Motorists couldn’t stop fast enough when they caught a glimpse of the officers. It made crossing the street much more pleasant.

I expect a return to the status quo this morning, however.

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5 comments

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Didn't move here to ride in the snow, so it was a rare inclement day off of the bike. The best snow riding I ever did have, however, was in Prescott.

theahlilea

I have noticed an entirely similar influence on bicyclists actually stopping at stop signs when a cop car is present. INNN-teresting... ;)

Mtngoat

I bet the cyclists that left all those black streaks on the sidewalk also refrained from misbehaving in the presence of the police too... Funny that we all actually know how to act appropriately; sad that we only do it when someone is watching.

TPD was also out giving tickets on N Mountain the other day, and not a single cut the curve and veered into the bike lane (like they usually do).

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I think the rule is you have to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. You're not in the crosswalk until you step off the curb. That indicates intent to cross and cars must stop. Out of courtesy, drivers stop for people on the curb and that muddies up the understanding of the rule. It's the same at four-way stops....nobody knows the rule, so they become 'courteous'.

I rarely do what a driver motions me to do on my bike. It's almost always wrong. Courtesy is nice , but you can get into more trouble if you rely on it.