Today I was threatened by a maniac driver at a Zebra crossing. He is one of many that regularly put children's lives at risk by speeding through a zebra crossing used by primary and nursery school children, although he's the first that has ever got out of the car and then chased and threatened me for getting in the way of him breaking the law.
The zebra crossing is located on a road through a small village. There is a school and nursery on one side of the road and the car park used by the school and nursery on the other. The speed limit is clearly marked at 30mph, accompanied by a school crossing sign and a flashing 30mph sign that comes on when the speed limit is exceeded. There is then a zebra crossing directly in front of the school with black and white markings on the road and yellow warning lights.
This idiot came flying down at speed with no care for anyone or anything that gets in his way. He did actually stop at the crossing, but then started shouting at me before jumping out of his car, jumping over the safety fence and chasing after me. He threatened me and at one point I believe he was actually going to resort to physical violence until I got my phone out and started dialling in 999. I tried to take a photo of him with my camera phone, but unfortunately the battery was low and it did not allow a photo to be taken.
He eventually got back in his car and sped away.
He didn't seam to comprehend what a pedestrian / zebra crossing meant or think that there was anything wrong with driving past the school at a reckless speed. The best his intelligence could come up with was to threaten me and resort to childish name calling, which I think says a lot about him.
Had it been a child that had stepped out onto the crossing then there is a good chance that they would be dead. Perhaps even with the driver jumping out of the car and threatening the child.
There are speed limits and crossing in front of schools for a reason. If you are unable to stop in front of a crossing then you would not be able to stop in front of a child. This driver was not going a little over the speed limit he had broken it and then some, my guess was that he was over double the speed limit for the road.
Does a child really deserve a death sentence because the driver cannot take his foot off the accelerator when passing a school or play-area?
There are race tracks that can be hired out, without risking the lives of children by using the local roads for racing.
I'll be writing to the council for more a effective deterrent to be installed on the crossing, but I think it's only a matter of time until some idiot does serious injury to a child on that and the many similar crossings elsewhere.
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