This is why I practically never run within ten feet of a car's front at intersections. If they've stopped, made eye contact, and nodded or waved me on, then maybe. At least once a week, I encounter a driver who almost certainly would have hit me if I hadn't followed this rule.

One counter-intuitive result is that I cross more often against the "walk" light than with it. If I have the walk light, it usually means the cars next to me also have a green light (which is kind of insane really). Some of them will be turning, and they're far more likely to do so without looking than someone turning at a red. The A-pillar visibility issue also affects them more. It's generally safer to wait for a red light and look for a suitable gap in the cross traffic (plus right turners).

Also, a pox on anybody who tucks a crosswalk fifteen to twenty feet down the smaller street. Yes, it's further out of traffic, but it's also further out of where any driver might be looking. I will always stay in a direct line (and pay close attention to traffic) rather than take the extra steps to destroy my own safety.

The best trick is to avoid running anywhere near cars at all. Find a nice track. Of course, don't drive there, cycle there or use a scooter. What's the point if you are making the world unsafe for others.

> Find a nice track.

Get used to the idea that not everyone lives in the same circumstances as you. The closest tracks to me are at schools, 1-2km away, and reserved for use by the students during prime outdoor-activity hours. That's probably better than for a lot of people, and even then it's nowhere near an equivalent option.

Oh yeah, also we have real winters here. Streets are plowed. Tracks aren't.

> cycle there

Hardly better. Car/bike interactions are no picnic either, and I'm also tired of cyclists thinking they're better than pedestrians somehow. It's just not so. In this case I suspect they're even worse for safety, adding yet another mismatched speed and cutting into everyone's margin of error by a greater amount. I don't see anything good or honorable about discouraging people from a healthy activity - running on streets and/or sidewalks - that can be done safely if one takes appropriate care.

Generally better on the joints to avoid asphalt and concrete anyways.

I think the “problem” is your running. I’m an ex-runner, ex-skateboarder (knees gave up) and my close calls were always when moving at high speed.

Drivers are expecting we’ll be a dawdling pedestrian moving at 2-3 MPH, when in fact we could easily be doing 10MPH or faster.

We have street-grade LIDAR everywhere these days (at least in SF). I don’t understand why they can’t make “smart intersections” that flash drivers a warning when pedestrians are predicted to be crossing.

You have a higher opinion of people than I do. I've had someone threaten to kill me because he was trying to barge through a zebra crossing while I was on it, and he felt the need to get out of his car and have a go in person because I was, you know, blocking his car.

People know. They don't care. They'd rather kill someone than slow down.

It's not uncommon for drivers to get a big shot of adrenaline after a near miss, and turn that into anger instead of reflecting on their own actions. Sad commentary on human nature, I guess.

I'm not sure that comment really addresses the high speed crosswalk entry concerns. Sure there are some people out there who behave like your story, but not that many (and should be addressed by losing their license). Even with the right of way, it's in a pedestrian's best interest to slowly enter the crosswalk and check to make sure the vehicles are yielding. Some states make it illegal to run into traffic or cross while distracted (phone use).

So yes, people driving should be going slow enough to avoid someone running into traffic. But then the runner should also slow to safely evaluate and cross.

Most drivers are just dumb. I’ve had two guys and one gal threaten to fight me over the last 10ish years, but many, many more close calls.

Case in point, I had a guy who nearly killed me on a dark, rainy night. He circled around to apologize (pro tip to drivers: don’t do this, I thought he was coming back to fight or shoot me since I let a few profane words slip).

"Most drivers are just dumb."

This sounds like an extreme stereotype.