Monday, January 14, 2008

Crossing the street in Paris


No fancy building today, I just like the dynamics of this photo. I was surprised to learn that there are few pedestrian accidents in Paris; in 2005 (last stats available) "only" 23 people died crossing the street and 278 were seriously injured (but 1 643 were "lightly" injured). See, French driving is not that crazy!

21 comments:

  1. Great shot, I think Parisienne driving has mellowed hugely over the last ten years. These days, cars stop at crossings like this (they used to be treated as target zones), parking is much less creative than it used to be. The world is becoming a boring place.

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  2. God Eric, this is such a fantastic photo i clicked on it and the action of the motorbikes' lights and the walking - well it's just fab. You really are an inspiration to me.

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  3. So far having stayed here in Paris for only 5 months as a foreigner, I am surprised to find out that traffic here is really not as crazy as the reputation was!

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  4. i wish i were just just next to the person and imagine being in a hurry not to miss one of all the things you can do in paris

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  5. Excelent! Somehow it feels even more dynamic in black & white.

    Eric could you please tell us what street in the 6th this is??

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  6. I love this black & white - it almost looks vintage. I also loved zooming in on it as there is so much detail that the eye does not initially pick up.

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  7. It would be interesting how many estimated 'street crossings' there are each day or year. It must be millions per year.

    It's a neat picture too! Love the way the ladies booted foot and calf seem to stand out. (Okay, at least, they stand out to me)

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  8. Eric,
    I really enjoy this shot. The angle upwards makes it really interesting alomg with the B&W for added drama.

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  9. I'm glad the drivers aren't crazy like they used to be. I always felt like I was taking my life in my hands when I crossed a street. Then when I returned to the US and was driving again, I had the strange urge to disobey traffic signals and speed limits. :)

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  10. my experience is that Parisien drivers are reasonable and look out for foolish pedestrians. Its different in Germany!!

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  11. Great shot! Parisian drivers still drive like maniacs, though, no matter what your stats say :D They're just very skilled maniacs and come to think of it, so are the pedestrians! ;)

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  12. When I first saw this photo I thought..."Well, this is the sort of photo that all the PDP regulars adore"!!! Bravo, Eric!!

    I hate to tell you, but San Francisco had the record for the highest amount of pedestrian fatalities in the US a year or two ago, and I believe there were over 35 pedestrians killed in 2007! Sick, ehh??

    Commenting on the photo of the BMW from yesterday, I remember the first time I saw one in Paris and I was just amazed! I really loved the idea and couldn't understand why they never caught on in big US cities? Perhaps they were never sold here, Americans still love their cars too much.

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  13. I think this is Blvd. St. Germain, n'est ce pas?

    This is a great, dynamic photo. It makes me want to go see Paris. Hmm. Not a bad idea...

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  14. I really like the angle of that shot. It reminds me of the photo's one would see in a print ad. Great job!

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  15. Jeff I think so too, it looks like Bl. Saint Germain. I just wanted to be sure.
    I love this part of Paris.

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  16. The single foot on the zebra crossing is a nice moment. Next shot... the crazy Parisian motorist mowing her down...? No, just kidding, that's a bit morbid!

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  17. I'm just relieved that you didn't take this after being thrown to the pavement ! Nice shot.

    I'm the new guy on the PDP block...as least from a commenting standpoint. Long time viewer, though. What a wonderful blog this is.

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