Downtown pedestrians - where is the repulsifactor when I need it?

(this is my only other post from the previous blog that I'm going to repost. I got stuck behind a few pedestrians when I was trying to get home yesterday, so this is definitely still pertinent).

I don't know if it's a major societal problem or what, but I have to wonder about the mindset of people getting around the downtown of any major city. The drivers can be idiots or just needlessly aggressive (especially the taxi drivers, who seem to want to come close to hitting everything in sight).

But as a driver, I have one major pet peeve that I never see anybody talk about. I'm talking about stupid pedestrians. I know it's hard to get around. We're all busy. Places to go; people to see. We're all in a hurry in this day and age.

But come on, people. Follow some basic decorum! Help the free flow of traffic in the downtown core! You do know what "Walk" and "Don't Walk" means, don't you? You wouldn't know it by watching the people in downtown Vancouver. It's hard enough to get anywhere in the car downtown, but when you have a constant flow of pedestrians completely ignoring the "Don't Walk" sign, and thus getting in the way of those drivers trying to turn the corner, it just makes the entire thing painful. How many times does just one or two cars get through a light because the pedestrians can't follow a simple sign? There's a reason for those Don't Walk signs, people! It's to allow the turning drivers a bit of time to get out of the way.

Don't get me started on those pedestrians who seem to think it's their God-given right to jaywalk across the street, expecting you to stop and let them do so. You've got two legs. Either wait until traffic clears or walk down to the corner! Don't give me a dirty look because I didn't stop for you. We're trying to keep the traffic flowing here, and you're not helping.

Whatever happened to basic courtesy? With just a little of it, driving downtown wouldn't be the chore that it's become. We could all co-exist peacefully and people would get to where they were going. It's not that hard people.