Walking in the Dark
 

Last evening I had a meeting that I had to attend. I backed out of my driveway, stopped, looked both ways behind me, straightened the car to drive and almost ran over a woman dressed from head to toe in black, even wearing a black hood of some sort. Thankfully she jumped onto the grass, which is when I finally saw her. I was in the wrong ................

BUT ........... please, if you are going to walk in the dark of the morning, or the dark of the night, please please please wear reflector vests or tape reflector strips to your clothing.

You are living in a retirement community and although we do not like to admit it, our eyes are no longer as good as they once were.

That was a close one. I am glad everybody is OK.............

Remember the movie, from at least 10 years ago, Boynton Beach Club. It was a romantic comedy set in a retirement community in Florida. When I read your post, it reminded me of a scene at the beginning of that movie where the same thing happens.........but I think that scene had a sad ending. It was not a near-miss..........

(I do not know why I can't just type a simple response.......nooooooo.........now, here I am, just woke up, had no coffee, thinking about checking later see if Boynton Beach Club is on Amazon Prime or Netflix. I liked the movie......but that was a decade ago....I was gainfully employed.......not living in a retirement community.....might like the movie differently from this perspective.....will see.......later......gotta make sure I have the right movie.).......

So anyway, back to topic........I ordered headlamps from L. L. Bean to give to people at Christmas, for dog-walking or whatever at night...........

(I think there was an episode of Northern Exposure where one of the characters was wearing a big headlamp, 24/7. He was addicted to the light and was acting goofy.)..........

Glad everybody is OK.........I must be off........to get coffee........

Not-A-Tweeter Boomer

Great advice. Light colored clothing do very little after dark. Inexpensive reflective vests can be found at Walmart.

Yes, good movie. The lady was talking on her cell phone as she backed out of the driveway. A man was taking his morning walk. Unfortunate timing.

Did the character die?

I saw that movie at the Rialto here but had to wait for the lines to thin out. It was extremely popular in the Villages at that time.

I am out at night often with Beau but he has a reflective dog leash which makes us very easy to see. Some Community Watch drivers have complimented us about this Walmart leash. I also try to remember to carry a flashlight which I flick on whenever a car comes close or I have to pick up Beau's poop. http://www.walmart.com/ip/20693156?w...898712&veh=sem

:thumbup: AND http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=reflective%20vest

I'm a flasher.


I like the red lights that flash..........$10, Walmart.

It seems that many are walking in winter months, mores than in summer, and few have flashlights

Yes, the man was killed. Later in the movie, the widow confronted the driver at the rec center pool in a momment of healing.

To me, nothing beats large reflective strips on your body. Blinking lights are good, but they don't always catch my attention. In my former Georgia neighborhood, there were no sidewalks and few street lights. Runners and walkers were often out in the mornings before light and at night. I saw all the various types of visibility aids. When I began running, I purchased a vest with reflecting stripes. I really recommend that method.

Yes, please always wear highly visible clothing, flashers, reflective strips or the like when walking at night. Personally, I do not use ear buds as I want to hear vehicles approaching me (might be hard to hear an approaching electric golf cart though).

BTW, more colorful clothing than he was wearing would not have saved Marty, the man who the woman backed her car over in broad daylight in the movie. I think he was a tad negligent himself, listening and dancing to loud music piped through ear buds as well as apparently not remaining visually observant for nearby vehicular movement as he frolicked down the middle of the street. The clearly narcissistic woman was oblivious to anything but her cell phone conversation and grossly negligent backing her car as well as pretty gross in general.

I love that movie and have watched it several times.

Hey, thanks for the reminder of my morning of digressing herein. I am going to look right now to see if we can watch it tonight. It must be streaming somewhere.

I don't think this almost-collision has anything to do with this being "a retirement community" nor with most "eyes not as good as they once were".

Pedestrians are not to be walking in front of moving vehicles, period.

I've never seen so many people as I see here, who have no respect or fear of moving vehicles coming toward them, and they just walk mindlessly in front or behind a moving vehicle without even looking! And some walk in front of/behind a moving vehicle mindFULLy, as if to prove "I'm right, and you're wrong". But who wants to be right in a trauma unit and rehab hospital for months/years, or in a cemetery!!

It's not a matter of who's right or who's wrong. It's a matter of pedestrians, too, taking responsibility for their own safety, by using their brain that should tell them that white tail lights lit up on the vehicle means the car is in reverse and about to back up, and they might not see you in the daylight OR dark!

The pedestrian also has to be responsible for their safety by wearing white or light colored/clothing and reflective vests, striping and/or lights/flashlight. Without it you are a menace.

I have to agree with the OP about folks not wearing clothing that helps us see them in the dark. Many times we've been out where someone is walking their neighborhood, be it alone or walking their dog and if not for the street light happening to be right there they'd blend in with the shadows. Many neighborhood streets are narrow and without sidewalks so please if you're reading this post...learn to put on light clothing AND/OR get a reflective vest as well. OH...and this goes for folks riding their bikes in the dark as well. Have seen that too...plus the bike didn't have proper lights on it.

:thumbup: Last weeks ACE HARDWARE paper. $1.00 When not on sale $2.00 :22yikes:

Going beyond the walker at night, you forgot to mention the golf cart driver who uses his left arm for a turn signal at night. Love it.

I agree with you. We live a fairly busy street. When I back out of our driveway, I stop just before the street to look both ways.

When I did that a few days ago, I saw a young lady walker who had seen me backing out and stopped at least 10 feet short of our driveway. She was wisely waiting for me to pull out. Pretty smart pedestrian. Since she was stopped, I waved to her and pulled out.