Do pedestrians have the right of way in parking lots?
Do not listen to those who say that pedestrians always have the right of way. It’s not true. Pedestrians are not permitted to step into oncoming traffic, or cross a public way outside of an available crosswalk. (Maine law, which is the same as other states’ laws, states: “A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the operator to yield” (MRSA 29-A, Sect. 2056)) It sounds as though this guy did. He was wrong. Because the incident happened in a parking lot, not on a public way, the police wouldn’t have been able to cite anyone; it would be a civil matter.
