I would like to know what the city of Paris was thinking when the decision was taken to put pedestrian crossings at practically every corner, as well as other places. The cost of white paint must have been tremendous and they are regularly maintained. But what is the point? Cars don't stop for pedestrians at them. The function you would expect them to serve does not explain the paint used, the labour employed.
I understand that a motorist stopping because there is a hopeful pedestrian at the kerb is technically classed as obstructing the highway. Hitting a pedestrian on a crossing is a serious thing, however. Parking actually on one will get you a higher fine than the €11 normally applied to parking offences in Paris. So perhaps that's it. It's just about extracting a higher parking fine. Unlike in the UK, you can legally park right up to the crossing, thereby making any pedestrian thinking of crossing the road invisible to motorists. I have also heard that cars only need miss the pedestrian brave enough to cross the road by a metre. Unnerving if used to those countries where a pedestrian actually has priority on the zebra stripes.
Beware also of crossings controlled by lights. At a junction in the UK the green light for a pedestrian means no car can get close without actually going through a red. In France the pedestrian lights are synchronised with the traffic lights. That means whenever there is a red light for a car, the pedestrian light is green. It also means any car turning has a green signal. The turning car is supposed to give way to the pedestrians - if he can see them squeezing between the parked cars!
Every time I cross the road I get nostalgic about Great Britain. It's not just the respect for pedestrians, it's actually a respect for all road users. The crossings are not on the corners because that is inherently dangerous. "Zebra" crossings are lit, parking is prohibited around them so cars can see the would-be road crossers. In consequence crossings are respected.
Funny, though. Road crossing hazards are not enough to make me want to leave France...
