Look Both Ways or Die

New Zealanders are generally very friendly and courteous. They do have their qualms with Americans, but who doesn't. When driving or walking around the city, you rarely hear cars honking or people yelling at each other. But behind this cheery and courteous disposition, there is a bloodthirsty maniac just waiting to kill an innocent pedestrian.

It turns out that in New Zealand, pedestrians don't have the right-of-way when crossing a street or road. You wouldn't think it a big deal at first, but trust me, it's a big deal. Unless you are at an intersection with a pedestrian signal (which are not very common in Auckland), you put your life in your hands when you cross the street. Cars just don't stop for pedestrians. 

There is a pretty busy street that runs through the center of the University campus. For most of the day, there is a steady stream of cars driving through at about 40mph. Every once in a while, there will be a couple seconds of gap when the traffic lights are timed just right. With something like 50 thousand students at the University, you can imagine that there would be a lot of people trying to cross the street between classes. The end result is lines of students standing on the centerline of the road with speeding cars shooting in front of and behind them. There are four lanes of traffic to deal with so it's almost impossible to make it all the way across without getting stuck between lanes. 

Because I am on my bike, I rarely have to deal with this issue, but it's still terrifying to watch a single file line of 20 or 30 students standing in the center of the road with cars whizzing by them. Sometimes I cringe when I see two buses moving in opposite directions sandwich people at the centerline or when a car mirror clips a backpack. 

Remember how I said that New Zealanders don't use their horns? Well that just makes things worse for pedestrians. In Boston or New York City, if someone is walking in the street, they will get honked at, but the car will still stop. Here, the cars will come out of nowhere with no warning. They won't honk so you can't tell if they can see you or not. 

If I die in New Zealand, this is how it will happen. No falls from steep mountain cliffs, no bike accidents, no volcano related tragedies, none of that. I'm going to get hit by a bus while I'm on my way to class.