Crossing

The other day I went out to get a haircut. The place I go is located in a shopping center between a Staples and a Petsmart. Now, if you've ever driven through a parking lot, either at the mall or a grocery store, you've probably experienced the common phenomenon of a pedestrian needing to cross in front of you.

Now, most of the time, drivers will slow and/or stop and wave the pedestrian across. Every now and then you get the jerk who will brake for nothing. They're the ones who would mow you down if you're not within the confines of the crosswalk.

The pedestrian, once they get the wave, has several options. If it's me, I'll throw back a wave, possibly a smile, then attempt a slight jog. I don't want to take up any more of the driver's time than I need to. He/she was, after all, nice enough to stop for me to go across. The least I could do is pretend to hurry across.

Another option is the leisurely stroll. This pedestrian may or may not acknowledge the existence of the driver. But either way, they take their time. Having been the driver in this situation, it's a little irritating.

Finally, there's the scenario I came across on this haircut trip. A man was standing outside of Staples, looking both ways. It would seem that he was waiting for an opportune time to cross to the parking area. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, so I wasn't in a hurry. I slowed the car and made eye contact with the waiting pedestrian. I gave him the go ahead, but he held his hand up and shook his head. He refused to cross after I gave him the okay. I did think that was a little odd.

It was stranger when I looked back after driving away. It was then that he crossed to the other cars. So what's the deal? Was he too good to cross when I gave him the wave? At least I was nice enough to slow down. I could have just sped up.