French zebra crossings

[rich p]

What is the status of zebra crossings?
While cycling over there recently I stopped at one to allow an elderly woman to cross and she got a metre or two onto the crossing but the stream of cars continued to swerve round her. She was understandably terrified and stumbled back to the pavement.
I then parked my bike across the traffic forcing them to stop and allowed her to cross. The abuse I got from the drivers was comical but I gave as good as I got in the English vernacular.
It occurs to me that the rules may be somewhat different over there.

 

[PBancroft]

What is the status of zebra crossings?
While cycling over there recently I stopped at one to allow an elderly woman to cross and she got a metre or two onto the crossing but the stream of cars continued to swerve round her. She was understandably terrified and stumbled back to the pavement.
I then parked my bike across the traffic forcing them to stop and allowed her to cross. The abuse I got from the drivers was comical but I gave as good as I got in the English vernacular.
It occurs to me that the rules may be somewhat different over there.

It used to be optional, but the law changed a few years ago to make it mandatory to stop for pedestrians on crossings.

Nobody pays any attention to that law, as you found out.

 

[rich p]

It used to be optional, but the law changed a few years ago to make it mandatory to stop for pedestrians on crossings.

Nobody pays any attention to that law, as you found out.

Ah, thanks. A lot of them are pretty faded too indicating their lack of importance perhaps.

It's slightly odd when you see how considerate they are to cyclists as a rule.

 

[martint235]

It used to be optional, but the law changed a few years ago to make it mandatory to stop for pedestrians on crossings.

Nobody pays any attention to that law, as you found out.

The ones in Rome are the best I've seen. It took me a while to figure them out but the principle appears to be that the pedestrian is paramount and has right of way at all times. However that only applies to the space you are currently occupying so you get cars whizzing in front of you and behind you. You do appear to be completely safe (there must be a really draconian law involved) as I never once saw a car fail to stop when it needed to.

 

[BrumJim]

They show where pedestrians should cross. They have painted white on the road so that they are easier to clean after you have been hit by a car.

 

[BlueDog]

Oh, when the OP spoke of zebra crossings I thought he was referring to this morning's news on the BBC;

Zebra Crossings

 

[snorri]

I had an amusing experience when cycling in The Netherlands a few years ago when I stopped at a zebra to allow an older lady to cross. She was obviously surprised that I had stopped and looked at me rather suspiciously, so I pointed to myself and said "Foreign tourist". Her look changed to one of relief and she smiled as she crossed safely in front of me.

 

[PBancroft]

My dad was once having difficulty crossing a road in Italy because no one was stopping for him. Eventually a car did stop, so he looked up and waved at the driver to say thanks.

He was somewhat surprised to see it was an old friend he hadn't seen in years..!

 

[Hockeynut]

I remember years ago when I was in Italy. They actually appear to use Zebra Crossings as target practice over there!

 

[Over The Hill]

From what I have seen in the Foreign is that they just use them to park on while they nip in for a loaf of bread.

 

[jack the lad]

The best explanation I have seen for French zebra crossings is " So that ambulances know where to stop" !

 

[Blue Hills]

Good on you Rich P.

Sounds very similar to Italian attitude to zebras.

My more recent experience of Italy is Sardinia. Drivers are wonderful if you are on a bike (the best I've ever found) but if you should step off it and become a pedestrian you just disappear or become some sort of insect life.

Yes, it's true, they just cross behind or in front of you and seem to think that this counts as "giving way" as in not actually running over you. Apparently accidents are pretty rare.

When I was younger I used to find this "interesting" and fun and crazy - you know how student travellers are - always keen to have a "close-shave" story to tell pals on their return. I was once crossing a zebra on a bridge in Rome and a small Fiat actually ran over my foot. No harm done.

But now as I get older/grumpier and like to see a bit of regard for fellow citizens (maybe a vain hope in Italy) I just find it annoys me intensely. I am liable to cross the zebra with my hands in front of me. Have been told that this is culturally insensitive and it may well be the end of me.

I too use my bike to block traffic for pedestrians who, yes, often look at me with surprise or just refuse to cross

I intend to keep on doing it - I've seen little old ladies wait in vain for a car to stop/young mothers with babes in arms or in prams start to cross and have to retreat at speed.

 

[HLaB]

I don't know about in France but in some countries they're just there to delineate (mark out the crossing) and don't hold much legal status a bit like you sometimes see here where there is a red strip across the crossing, it just highlights the crossing.

 

[rich p]

It used to be optional, but the law changed a few years ago to make it mandatory to stop for pedestrians on crossings.

Nobody pays any attention to that law, as you found out.

I don't know about in France but in some countries they're just there to delineate

See Kaipath's reply!

 

[HLaB]

See Kaipath's reply!

Yip I saw Kaipath reply but it was more to do with it used to be legal (mandatory to stop) but its often ignored. Maybe what I was saying isn't clear but in some countries its not a legal thing, its just to highlight a crossing point