Crossing The Streets

[Mr Lee]

One of my pet peeves in the Philippines is that drivers seem to be very discourteous to pedestrians and will probably run a person over if they try to cross a street when there is traffic. I think they might think twice about running over a foreigner compared to a Filipino because it might cost them more money but we all need to be extra careful when crossing the streets in the Philippines. Anyone else have the same problems where they are?

[Jollygoodfellow]

One of my pet peeves in the Philippines is that drivers seem to be very discourteous to pedestrians and will probably run a person over if they try to cross a street when there is traffic. I think they might think twice about running over a foreigner compared to a Filipino because it might cost them more money but we all need to be extra careful when crossing the streets in the Philippines. Anyone else have the same problems where they are?

I am amazed how anyone gets across the street,sometimes with an inch to spare when they get caught in the center lane. The first mistake I almost made when I got to Cebu was thinking those white zebra crossings were for me to cross the road while the traffic stops and waits,soon found out they were just decorations on the road.

[TheMason]

One of my pet peeves in the Philippines is that drivers seem to be very discourteous to pedestrians and will probably run a person over if they try to cross a street when there is traffic. I think they might think twice about running over a foreigner compared to a Filipino because it might cost them more money but we all need to be extra careful when crossing the streets in the Philippines. Anyone else have the same problems where they are?

I've gotten to be a pro at crossing streets here. You just have to keep your head turned in the direction traffic is SUPPOSED to be coming from, and occasionally glance the other way to look out for trikes, bikes or cars on the wrong side of the road. Then, you cross 1 lane of traffic at a time. Keep inching out a little bit at a time and eventually a car will slow down to let you cross or there will be a big enough break in traffic that you can make it across to the next lane. Its been my experience a palm held up towards oncoming traffic will almost always get people to slow down enough to let me across the road. I don't think they slow down because I'm a foreigner though, because that works for my wife as well.My road crossing skills improved dramatically when I stopped checking to make sure my wife was OK as well. I've adopted an every man for themselves attitude when it comes to crossing the street. I'll either meet her on the other side of the road or the other side of this life.As for hitting a foreigner costing them more money....I really don't think that is true. I'd be very surprised if I got money from a Filipino that ran me over. I think the thinking would be either:A) the foreigner was an idiot and walked out in traffic without looking. I shouldn't have to pay money because foreigners can't cross the street.or B) The foreigner is rich and I'm just a poor Filipino. How much will the foreigner pay me to fix the damage to my car?

[Mr Lee]

One of my pet peeves in the Philippines is that drivers seem to be very discourteous to pedestrians and will probably run a person over if they try to cross a street when there is traffic. I think they might think twice about running over a foreigner compared to a Filipino because it might cost them more money but we all need to be extra careful when crossing the streets in the Philippines. Anyone else have the same problems where they are?

I've gotten to be a pro at crossing streets here. You just have to keep your head turned in the direction traffic is SUPPOSED to be coming from, and occasionally glance the other way to look out for trikes, bikes or cars on the wrong side of the road. Then, you cross 1 lane of traffic at a time. Keep inching out a little bit at a time and eventually a car will slow down to let you cross or there will be a big enough break in traffic that you can make it across to the next lane. Its been my experience a palm held up towards oncoming traffic will almost always get people to slow down enough to let me across the road. I don't think they slow down because I'm a foreigner though, because that works for my wife as well.My road crossing skills improved dramatically when I stopped checking to make sure my wife was OK as well. I've adopted an every man for themselves attitude when it comes to crossing the street. I'll either meet her on the other side of the road or the other side of this life.As for hitting a foreigner costing them more money....I really don't think that is true. I'd be very surprised if I got money from a Filipino that ran me over. I think the thinking would be either:A) the foreigner was an idiot and walked out in traffic without looking. I shouldn't have to pay money because foreigners can't cross the street.or B) The foreigner is rich and I'm just a poor Filipino. How much will the foreigner pay me to fix the damage to my car?

You are probably correct in your thoughts. :thumbsup: I have had to cross some pretty mean streets in the US but Cebu often seems pretty daunting at times. I remember a few times in Cebu where the motorcycle came the wrong way up a street and almost ran me over because I did not expect them to be on that side of the road and one time when I made it all the way across the street only to almost be run over by a motorcycle up on the sidewalk and then one time I only made it to the middle of the road and since the dividers between the two lanes of traffic are kind of small in Cebu for my wide body, a mirror just grazed my back as the car went by behind me. Kind of scary at times but I have learned to make sure the light has just changed or not to bother even crossing because the lights in Cebu sometimes are very short and getting caught in the middle can be very dangerous at times because drivers seem to aim right at me. I still wonder if the car whose mirror grazed my back was trying to get as close as he could to hit a kano or it was just bad driving on their part.

[volstateguy]

One of my pet peeves in the Philippines is that drivers seem to be very discourteous to pedestrians and will probably run a person over if they try to cross a street when there is traffic. I think they might think twice about running over a foreigner compared to a Filipino because it might cost them more money but we all need to be extra careful when crossing the streets in the Philippines. Anyone else have the same problems where they are?

Go online and play lots of frogger before you get there. http://www.freefrogger.org/welcome.html You'll be a champ at crossing the street by the time you arrive.

[FlyAway]

I joked with my wife about crossing in front of the most expensive looking car for two reasons.1. They do not want to dent their expensive car.2. They do not want to wash off the blood!

[Heart]

:thumbs-up-smile: to all of us. I, too was used to a very orderly road etiquette. Philippines is indeed a challenge when it comes to way of living.But I find them friendlier than my neighbors back at home.

[Singers]

:thumbs-up-smile: to all of us. I, too was used to a very orderly road etiquette. Philippines is indeed a challenge when it comes to way of living.But I find them friendlier than my neighbors back at home.

Singapore was very orderly and would not have prepared me for PI but 3 years in Shanghai with homicidal/suicidal drivers did the trick.Now Cebu street are navigable, although, eyes in the back of my head would help. Tom in Droitwich

[Singers]

One of my pet peeves in the Philippines is that drivers seem to be very discourteous to pedestrians and will probably run a person over if they try to cross a street when there is traffic. I think they might think twice about running over a foreigner compared to a Filipino because it might cost them more money but we all need to be extra careful when crossing the streets in the Philippines. Anyone else have the same problems where they are?

I've gotten to be a pro at crossing streets here. You just have to keep your head turned in the direction traffic is SUPPOSED to be coming from, and occasionally glance the other way to look out for trikes, bikes or cars on the wrong side of the road. Then, you cross 1 lane of traffic at a time. Keep inching out a little bit at a time and eventually a car will slow down to let you cross or there will be a big enough break in traffic that you can make it across to the next lane. Its been my experience a palm held up towards oncoming traffic will almost always get people to slow down enough to let me across the road. I don't think they slow down because I'm a foreigner though, because that works for my wife as well.My road crossing skills improved dramatically when I stopped checking to make sure my wife was OK as well. I've adopted an every man for themselves attitude when it comes to crossing the street. I'll either meet her on the other side of the road or the other side of this life.As for hitting a foreigner costing them more money....I really don't think that is true. I'd be very surprised if I got money from a Filipino that ran me over. I think the thinking would be either:A) the foreigner was an idiot and walked out in traffic without looking. I shouldn't have to pay money because foreigners can't cross the street.or B) The foreigner is rich and I'm just a poor Filipino. How much will the foreigner pay me to fix the damage to my car?

B has my vote.Tom

[Matt]

Roads down in the province are no where near as bad as they are in the city, but only two days ago, a good friend of mine was knocked over by a motorbike at night who had no lights on. He was walking home, some 200 meters away from the house, when he saw a bike coming down the road. Unknowing to him the bike he saw was overtaking the one which did not have lights on, as he waited at the edge of the road for the bike to pass, the bike with no lights on hit him on the side, knocking him to the ground and the biker off his bike rolling down the road. Luckily for my friend he is rather tall and only came off with some bruises to the shoulder, ribs and legs. No need for hospital treatment. The man on the bike was very apologetic to him. So you can be as careful as you want down here, but until they start cracking down on motorbikes not using lights at night, you will never know if your going to get home that night here.