opinions // 20

theotherpress.ca

Don't be that guy: Of drivers and pedestrians

» There's no such thing as too cautious

Mercedes Deutscher
Staff Writer

like to call myself a frequent
pedestrian. I’ve had my
learner’s licence for three years,
but I choose not to drive for
financial and environmental
reasons. I’m thankful to live
in an area where I have this

choice.

I was required to learn the
rules of the road to receive my
learner’s licence, and I know
that in many circumstances, I

have the right of way.
So it absolutely infuriates
me when That Guy cannot

respect that.

I could get through
my post-secondary years
comfortably and debt-free if I
had a dime for every time I was
nearly hit by a motor vehicle
driven by That Guy. If I had
decided to actively pursue a
civil suit against That Guy for
the two times I was hit bya

: vehicle, I might have the money :

: to pay for school.

: However, this isn’t so much
: a pity party but a warning for

: those who choose to drive: be

: careful!

: Driving a vehicle is an

: enormous responsibility that

: shouldn't be taken lightly.

: When you choose to drive, you
: are responsible for adhering

: to the rules of the road. These
: rules aren't there to ruin fun;

: they are there to protect all road :

: users, including pedestrians.
: As a pedestrian, when
: I cross at an intersection, I

: crosswalk because That Guy is
: too impatient to let me finish

: crossing, or doesn’t even look

: to see that I am crossing. There
: is no excuse for that. Wherever
: they’re heading, it could never
: be so important that it’s worth
: risking the life of another

: human being. When a driver

: does that, they’re only shaving

a few seconds off of their trip.
: If they hit that pedestrian, they

: ; : can forget their plans and make
: shouldn't have torun across the : 8 P

: a date with emergency services.

Not only is driving stupidly

: around pedestrians dangerous,
: it could also cost the driver.

: Insurance is pricey, even if they
: do havea crash-free record.

: So who in their right mind

: would want to jeopardize their
: insurance rates by being a

: reckless driver? As well, if they

 

: still have a Class 7 licence and
: hit a pedestrian (or anyone),
: they may be forced to start their :
: during the appropriate signal,
: then I have the right of way. Just
: as I respect the right of drivers
: to cross the intersection when
: it is their green light, I expect to

: 24-month stage again.

At the very least, ifa

: mishap nearly happens, an

: apologetic wave would make

: things right. Instead, That Guy
: decides to yell profanities at me :
: or make offensive gestures when :

they’re at fault.

I do not claim to have road

: supremacy because I ama

 

pedestrian. If I’m jaywalking,
: Tcan accept fault. But if I’m

legally crossing the street

be able cross the street without

fear.
So I beg of all those who

: chose to get behind the wheel.
: Don’t be That Guy.

Stars without a purpose
» Give the NHL All-Stars something to play for

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor
© opinions
@theotherpress.ca

he format for selecting the top players

to be involved in the annual NHL All-
Star Game and Super Skills has been an
experiment for many years. Fan voting,

the NHL have all been tried. Not that the
games themselves have any merit except a
little bit of bragging rights for the players
and some excitement for the fans. The
selection process is often more surprising
than the actual event itself. With all that
being said, how can we give a little more life

to a game that doesn’t matter?
From the old-fashioned World versus

Western Conference battles, we always see
some key players left off the roster. With the

in each respective position this year, we can
see a huge flaw within the voting system.
Five out of the six players voted are from the
Chicago Blackhawks and one player from

the Buffalo Sabres. The NHL then went on to

select the remaining 36 participants.

This fan voting system, however, leads
itself to some less-than-serious picks.
Nothing against Zemgus Girgensons of the

beating out players with double his point
total, I must say he is occupying a spot that
doesn’t belong to him. Thanks, fans! This
reminds me of the year where the Canucks’

Rory Fitzpatrick nearly earned himself a spot :
: were injured, but hell, I want to watch

: hockey, not figure skating!

on the All-Star roster with the help of fan
voting and a Twitter campaign. Fitzpatrick

: was well-liked, but far from All-Star material.
: The conspiracy is that the NHL stepped in
: and voted Fitzpatrick out near the tail-end

of the voting process.

Another problem just happens to be

a publicity ploy. A fantasy draft format

: will take place on January 23 to decide the

: two teams. Nick Foligno of the host city,

: Columbus, will be the captain of one team
‘ : : and Jonathan Toews of Chicago, the captain

player drafts, and the executive choices from of the other, will vie for the best suited

: players, or their own teammates and friends.

: As proven from the past years, this is a

: popularity contest and less of a serious team

> construction.

All-star games, currently jokes

: masqueraded as sporting events, could have
: some value. The MLB puts pressure on the
game by giving playoff home-field advantage
North America to the current Eastern versus : ° the team that wins. The NHL could use
: this. Here’s a hypothetical example: if the
: Eastern Conference wins in the All-Star
fans in charge of selecting the top six players Game last year (if there was one), then in the
: Stanley Cup Finals, the New York Rangers

: would have the home-ice advantage instead

: of the LA Kings because of the All-Star Game

: victory, even though they were both seeded

forth in their conference.
The All-Star Game is often a lacklustre

event, full of showboating and antics. It’s
: barelya hockey game. Sure, the MVP gets a
: new car or something and the winning team

Sabres (who?), but with over 1,500,000 votes, : 8°84 celebratory pat on the back, but what's

: the point? Make them play for something.

The games should be about building an

: elite team to compete for an advantage that
: will come into play when it really matters.

I agree that it would be a shame if a player

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