pedestrians | The Adobo Chronicles

HONOLULU, Hawaii (The Adobo Chronicles) – Aloha! Welcome to paradise, where everything is laid back and there are not that many rules to follow. Or rules that confuse you.

But tourists as well as Hawaii residents have recently discovered that they can actually get a citation just for following the rules.

Anywhere in the world, pedestrians of all persuasions and nationalities understand basic signs like traffic lights. They know when to cross or not to when the lights tell them so. Some more sophisticasted traffic lights don’t only say “walk” or “don’t walk” but also warn the pedestrians that they have a certain number of seconds left to complete their walk to the other side of the street.

Apparently, the Honolulu Police Department has a different take on the traffic lights. The countdown which is meant to warn pedestrians how many seconds they have left to complete their crossing does not mean anything. Anyone who steps off the sidewalk when the countdown begins gets a citation.

So, when in Hawaii, know when to walk or not to walk.

San Francisco, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – In San Francisco, the street lanes are painted red to indicate they’re only for buses and taxis. Green lanes are for bikes only. And rainbow-colored crosswalks are reserved for gay men and women in the Castro.

Now, the City and County of San Francisco is all set to establish cell phone-only lanes for pedestrians who are texting or talking on their cell phones while walking.

Mayor Ed Lee says the move will help reduce the growing number of injuries and deaths resulting from cell phone use while walking. “This will definitely eliminate the chances of pedestrians running into electric posts, fire hydrants and into other pedestrians ” he said.