Can we talk?

Parking Lots

  Today I'm addressing a personal grievance. Parking lots give pedestrians the right of way. I'm not saying peds should be thoughtless or dare-devilish. They don't need to step out from the sidewalk, daring the motorist to hit them and slowly meander across the road. They still need to exercise caution and thoughtfulness.
  Yet it amazes me how many drivers are so careless and thoughtless in parking lots. These lots may be public, but most are privately owned. The businesses, whether a medical center, strip mall, big insurance company, or government offices, are catering to the peds. They don't want these people run down or endangered.
  On rainy days, motorists inside their dry cars should automatically yield to pedestrians as a matter of kindness. They should yield to people with small children as a matter of safety. They should yield to people with a lot of packages or one big package as a courtesy. They should yield to a light or crosswalk as a matter of law. As for the law, there is a speed limit in parking lots, which many people fail to follow.
  Pedestrians, of course, have a duty to follow the law. They should try to stick to cross walks, not walk down the middle of lanes, be alert to traffic coming up behind them, and get to the side when they are aware of such traffic. They should also acknowledge when someone yields to them with a wave, a nod, or smile, and then move quickly, not taking all day.
  Peds and motorists both need to exercise more courtesy, patience, and kindness with each other.