This is an urgent warning to pedestrians in Portland:

Walking in a crosswalk doesn’t make you impervious to death unless you have a red S on your shirt.

At night, wearing dark clothing and being back-lit by oncoming cars’ headlights makes you invisible right up to the point that you get hit and run over.

Wearing a hooded coat to protect you from the weather also blocks your view of oncoming cars and lends yourself to being hit by something that weights 2 tons.

Crossing against the walk light is a suicide mission at night because drivers don’t see you because they are watching traffic around them and think you’re smart enough not to step in front of something that can’t stop instantly.

During daylight hours, make eye contact with a driver to be sure they see you before you step in front of their vehicle. Walking into the path of a vehicle even at high noon is dangerous if they don’t see you or know you think being in a crosswalk is the same as being seen by a driver.

Cars approaching a green light intersection at night want to get through it and aren’t expecting anyone seeing a vehicle coming their way will step in front of it.

Finally, putting your head down and making a mad dash across the intersection against the walk light gives drivers even less time to try not to make you road kill.

Michael Doyle

Falmouth