It is pet peeve time on this Friday! I have noticed in downtown Columbia, as well as certain heavily traveled areas of Myrtle Beach, that pedestrians risk life and limb to walk across the street! As a prime example, I was coming to work last Friday when what looked to be a homeless gentleman was in the crosswalk at Taylor and Main Streets. He was wearing a mask, paying attention and was in the middle of the street when the light turned green. I was in the right-hand lane heading down the hill to my office, and I slowly inched across the intersection to give him time to pass. My cohort in the left lane took off like he was drag racing, and fortunately, the man was able to get back to the curb in the nick of time before being plowed under. Citizen’s arrest has been in the news a lot lately, but I sure wanted to make one if I could have caught the guy! Seriously, pedestrians in the crosswalk always have the right of way!

Section 56-5-3130 (Pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks) says in part when traffic control signals are not in place, or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way, slowing down or stopping if need be to yield to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.

Please talk about this with the young drivers in your family, your friends, and your neighbors. We want Columbia and Myrtle Beach to be pedestrian friendly cities, and that requires motorists to give them their rights under the statute!