Newcomer WTF is the deal with Pedestrians not having the right of way in Buenos Aires. I almost got killed today at a green light

[Spend Thrift]

I've only been here 6 weeks but I've always died about 5 times now.

What the hell is the deal with pedestrian crossings? The pinnacle of traffic enlightenment! I mean, who needs clear guidelines for pedestrian safety, right? It's truly a mystery. Drivers, the real heroes of the road, just love playing the "let's see if they'll move" game. Some even accelerate for that added adrenaline rush while pedestrians play a thrilling game of chicken.

I'm just dying to crack the code on how to master these pedestrian puzzle zones. Perhaps there's a secret society with a handbook on gracefully tiptoeing through crosswalks without upsetting the delicate balance of chaos. If you professional expats or perma-tourists can fill this old guy in. Even at green walk signals I am almost getting murdered.

And oh, the cultural and historical context – it must be like decoding ancient hieroglyphs. Were crosswalks designed in a bygone era when everyone rode horses and carriages? Or are they just remnants of a time when people believed in the mythical concept of "traffic courtesy"?

Clearly, I'm missing out on the rich tapestry of crosswalk culture. Maybe one day, I'll uncover the hidden truths behind these pedestrian performance spaces. Until then, let the great crosswalk conundrum continue to baffle us all!

 

[Che Vos]

People here are very bad drivers. They don't respect the people walking in the streets. There is no rule for safety of people walking. I always amazed when I go to the USA or Europe and the people respect so much the people walking.

 

[Bobbie Burgers]

Drivers here suck. They don't give a f*ck about rules.

But then again if every driver actually stuck to the rules, our city would basically turn into a giant parking lot. And, you know, you're technically supposed to wait for all the pedestrians to do their little shuffle before making your grand turn. But let's be real, at crazy junctions like Libertador, that would mean, like, barely any cars ever getting through.

Oh, and coming from the cool vibes of Amsterdam, I always give a shout-out to my cyclist pals and let them take the spotlight. It's like, "You go, two-wheeled warriors!" The looks on their faces when they realize they're getting the VIP treatment is just too good.

But seriously, the ultimate struggle for me is at roundabouts. It's like a free-for-all of confusion, and cars end up doing the world's slowest dance on the roundabout stage. Good thing we don't have too many (or maybe none?) of those in our city, dodged that chaos, phew! 🚗✌️

 

[earlyretirement]

Drivers here are horrible in Buenos Aires. I was always amazed at how little respect there is for people at crosswalks even at a green light. I had 2 kids that were born in Buenos Aires and I'd remember being with them crossing at a green light with a stroller and people would almost hit us. There is not much respect and they constantly run red lights so you have to be really careful walking around.

I had 2 kids close in age when they were born there and we'd have 2 strollers sometimes and drivers act like they are doing you a favor letting you cross on a green light. So true @Bobbie Burgers about roundabouts. I had a car when I lived there and besides the weekends, I didn't drive much. My wife drove more than I did as she liked going to the grocery store, would take the kids to the park and stuff. But I didn't enjoy driving there.

 

[James Bond]

Mates there's this massive pedestrian crosswalk right by our flat and I remember turning to this Argentine chick next to me, like, "Seriously, these cars are supposed to stop, right? But nah, they just zoom past like it's a racetrack." And she hits me with, "Chill, don't make it a thing."

So, the other day, I'm strutting my stuff in another crosswalk, and this car almost makes me a hood ornament. But get this, not only does the driver almost turn me into roadkill, he honks at me like I'm the one causing chaos! I let out a scream that probably shook the city, he stops like a deer caught in headlights, and then I unleash some epic verbal fireworks on him.

I get it, I drive too, city driving's a wild ride. But the sheer arrogance of some drivers just blows my mind. Like, we're all trying to survive out here, man!

 

[Finance Prof]

It's not just cars! At least you can see vehicles. I get annoyed with all the Rappi and delivery bicycles that are rushing around. Get hit and you hope they have good insurance coverage.

 

[Starfish]

It's akin to navigating through a jungle out there, truly. Both drivers and pedestrians seem to have abandoned any sense of order. Drivers are on this relentless mission to avoid stopping at all costs, while a significant chunk of pedestrians seems to materialize out of thin air, utterly oblivious and feeling entitled to the chaos. A personal favorite of mine is when mothers casually roll their kids' strollers into the street while casually waiting on the sidewalk – like, seriously? (I'm sure @earlyretirement you and your wife weren't doing that but I HAVE seen that happen).

And then there's the saga of bikes, an entirely different story. It's a wild, dangerous terrain, and the golden rule is never to trust anyone out there. It's survival of the fittest in the concrete jungle.

 

[Canada Goose]

Oh, because, you know, it's not like we expect all cars to throw a pity party and wait forever until every pedestrian has finished their stroll. That would be way too much to ask and, heaven forbid, we might have a gridlock crisis on our hands. But, hey, there are those golden moments when some drivers just conveniently forget that pedestrians exist and could use a little courtesy. It's like, "Oh, did I interrupt your race to the next red light? My bad!"

This was one of the things that annoyed me about BA. Some they were friendly and gave right of way but most no way Jose.

 

[Billy Goat]

So, like, you've officially become a Buenos Aires resident when you're overseas, standing at a crosswalk, and you're like, "Okay, cars, go ahead, don't mind me. Just making sure you won't pull a Buenos Aires move and speed up while I'm halfway through."

In my hood, there's this new trend with "prioridad peatonal" signs at crossings. Super considerate, right? The only catch is they strategically hide them behind trees, playing hide and seek with everyone except the pedestrians. But hey, it's the thought that counts, or so they say.

 

[GlasgowJohn]

If any non Argentine learns how to drive at roundabouts they are GOD!

The rules are clear in the HighWay Code but no one but no one pays any heed to the rules....

 

[JonJLA]

If any non Argentine learns how to drive at roundabouts they are GOD!

The rules are clear in the HighWay Code but no one but no one pays any heed to the rules....

Ha! Roundabouts are tricky in many countries so this isn't unique to Argentina but Argentina they don't slow down like most places! They speed up!

Argentines don't follow most rules on anything. Taxes, laws, common sense so don't expect driving to be different. Cars are bigger than a person so take heed!


In Buenos Aires, it's like the car is the undisputed ruler – the almighty King of the road. It took me a while to grasp that reality, especially considering I only drive in Argentina a few times a year. Resistance, my friend, is indeed futile. You'll encounter these ironic situations where cars won't stop for you, even if it's your God-given right to cross. You just gotta find a way to dodge them. And get this, there are times when a car is practically a mile away, but it'll honk at you as if you've committed a mortal sin by crossing on a red light.

The level of road rage is something else. But hey, once you embrace the car's dominance, you should be good.
On a different note, the bike lanes here are a bit of a hazard. They decide to have two-way traffic on a street that's meant for one. Twice, I nearly became a casualty because I was looking one way for cars and, surprise, a bike came zooming from the opposite direction. Lesson learned: always do the double-check dance when there's a bike lane in sight.

 

[McDonald]

So, in San Telmo, I've had a few close encounters with buses that literally almost hit me – you know, those big boys trying to squeeze through these narrow streets. I've become a ninja-level cautious pedestrian now, dodging buses like it's an Olympic sport.

But guess what? They finally had a change of heart and decided to relocate all those buses out of San Telmo. Now they're living the good life on the metrobuses along 9 de Julio and Paseo Colón. It's like a breath of fresh air – a bus-free zone, if you will. Who knew moving buses could feel like an urban makeover?

 

[Pobre Luis]

Let me enlighten you – the bus drivers we've got now are basically like refined British gentlemen compared to the wild bunch from the 1980's.

Back then, it was a whole circus act – cutting tickets, playing change magician, no AC in sight, wrestling with unruly doors – you name it. Those were the days when bus drivers would give your car a little nudge just to keep the traffic dance going. Ah, the sweet, sweet nostalgia of those chaotic times!

 

[Fingerless]

And then there's the saga of bikes, an entirely different story. It's a wild, dangerous terrain, and the golden rule is never to trust anyone out there. It's survival of the fittest in the concrete jungle.

Oh, brace yourself for this traffic masterpiece: when two one-way streets decide to have a little rendezvous, and, of course, one of them is feeling fancy with a bike lane. Now, the other street, feeling a bit left out, slaps on a stop sign. But wait, there's more – the street with the bike lane gets a fancy yield sign. It's like traffic signage playing a game of "Let's Confuse Everyone 101." Guaranteed success, eye rolls included.

And just to keep the comedy rolling, there's this gem in Belgrano around Calle Echeverría where both streets just throw their hands up with stop signs, as if to say, "You figure it out, we're on a break!" 🚦🤷‍♂️

 

[Vero]

So, let me tell you, I've been pondering this whole pedestrian pandemonium thing, and I was totally gearing up to kick off a thread on it. And what do you know? A fellow explorer drops in with some pedestrian preoccupations! It's like the universe is in sync or something.

Now, picture this: Back in my glory days of the 1950s in the Midwest we had these traffic heroes – patrol boys at intersections during the grammar school commute. They'd stop traffic like real MVPs when kiddos wanted to strut their stuff across the street. And you betcha, I've carried on the tradition of corner-crossing throughout the ages.

Fast forward to today, and it's like the whole city's got ants in their pants. People just can't be bothered to give a nod to traffic lights anymore. Nope, everyone's in a mad dash to outsmart buses or whatever. I've witnessed folks playing real-life Frogger, crossing busy streets against the light, not batting an eye at oncoming cars. It's like a vehicular dance-off, and pedestrians are bringing some fancy footwork to the asphalt stage.

Now, the corners near my humble abode? Oh boy, one end's a right-turn roulette with poor visibility, and the other's a speedster's paradise racing to the next red light. The stop sign might as well be a prop for urban tree trimming since nobody pays it any mind. I've even suggested a speed bump, but the city just chuckled and moved on.

When I decide to grace the asphalt with my pedestrian prowess, I give those cars a hand signal like I'm directing traffic at a pop-up carnival. You'd be surprised how many drivers are clueless about the whole "pedestrians have the right of way" jazz at stop-signed corners.

But let me hit you with the real head-scratcher – folks thinking they can skip to the other side right in the middle of the street, dodging traffic like they're in some kind of daredevil action movie. And the kiddos? Bless their little hearts, they're learning from the pros – parents who sprint instead of stroll. Handholding and chit-chat while crossing? Nah, rare as a unicorn sighting.

You know what floats my boat in this urban chaos? Living in the moment, soaking in the beauty around me. Because, hey, in the comedy of street life, you gotta find your own punchline.

 

[Jeep]

In the realm of CABA, those traffic signals might as well be mere suggestions for the drivers. I've raised this concern multiple times during City government meetings, emphasizing the apparent disregard exhibited by drivers towards pedestrians. The response received, rather dishearteningly, posits that "drivers need education." It appears that, within the vehicular paradigm, a pedestrian in the act of crossing the street is viewed as an unwarranted disruption, an incongruity in the seamless flow of vehicular movement.

The prevalent sentiment among drivers seems to be one of apathy towards pedestrians. Their acknowledgment of a pedestrian's right to cross is contingent upon the imposition of a red traffic signal, a mere obligatory pause rather than a genuine recognition of the pedestrian's presence. This perspective, wherein the act of pedestrian crossing is perceived as an inconvenience, elicits a profound sense of disillusionment and frustration on my part.
.

 

[Uncle Wong]

Welcome to the chaotic circus of traffic where it's basically every person for themselves! You might encounter a sweet motorist once in a blue moon who graciously waves you to strut your stuff, but hold your horses – here comes a moto or another car, trying to play the crosswalk squeeze game. It's like a dance-off, but with vehicles.

Tip for survival: speed-walking is your superhero move. Channel your inner Olympic speedwalker, give the surroundings the good ol' 360-degree scan, and then proceed with caution. Because, you know, in this jungle of traffic, you gotta be the gazelle with lightning-fast moves!

 

[Albany]

In the realm of CABA, those traffic signals might as well be mere suggestions for the drivers. I've raised this concern multiple times during City government meetings, emphasizing the apparent disregard exhibited by drivers towards pedestrians. The response received, rather dishearteningly, posits that "drivers need education." It appears that, within the vehicular paradigm, a pedestrian in the act of crossing the street is viewed as an unwarranted disruption, an incongruity in the seamless flow of vehicular movement.

The prevalent sentiment among drivers seems to be one of apathy towards pedestrians. Their acknowledgment of a pedestrian's right to cross is contingent upon the imposition of a red traffic signal, a mere obligatory pause rather than a genuine recognition of the pedestrian's presence. This perspective, wherein the act of pedestrian crossing is perceived as an inconvenience, elicits a profound sense of disillusionment and frustration on my part.
.

It's an undeniable truth, but let's face it, there are pedestrians out there who seem to have a peculiar disregard for their own existence. I've even coined a nickname for them in jest – the "suicides." It's all a bit of a chaotic and dangerous spectacle. Back in my school days, they took the crossing-the-street lesson seriously. We had supervised practice sessions with teachers, like little street-crossing boot camp. And here's the kicker – drivers go through all those tests to get their licenses, right? So, where does this pedestrian mayhem come from? It's a mystery wrapped in confusion, and it just seems to be escalating year after year.

 

[Bobbie Burgers]

Let's face it. It's a zoo here! Everyone is in La La land mostly worrying about life or money issues or whatever.

Also, everyone is constantly on their mobile phones. Both drivers and pedestrians too which adds to the chaos!

 

[retiredbanker]

I find myself pondering the driving adventures of Argentines in the US, where the traffic laws are like sacred cash cows for local governments. Take Miami, for instance – you can casually turn right at red lights if the coast is clear, and heaven forbid if you don't hit the brakes for pedestrians in crosswalks. And don't even think about speeding in a school zone – you'd be toast. Here? Well, let's just say it's more of a "mañana" vibe when it comes to traffic rules.

It seems like Argentinians have skipped the whole "self-preservation instinct" class, whether they're on foot, bike, motorbike (I had one attempting to play limbo under my wheels today on the motorway), or even in a car. It's almost as if they're channeling their inner "I'm on the wide-open pampa, and rules are just suggestions" vibe.