I was shocked when I first came to an intersection in Norway and the cars all stopped. In the US, I'm used to waiting a couple minutes at a stop light, checking both directions and waiting for a gap to hurriedly walk across.
In Norway, the pedestrian culture is radically different. Pedestrians completely have the right of way. Cars, I swear, will scan pedestrians so that even before you near an intersection they are ready, breaks on.
As a driver in the US, I've definitely been guilty of sliding through before the pedestrian makes it to my side of the street. That would be cause for outrage, and embarrassment, here in Norway. Cars will actually slam on their breaks for pedestrians.
The counter point is that pedestrians here are wonderful pedestrians. They do not jay walk. At all. If there is not a cross walk, Norwegians will walk to find one. If the light isn't in their favor, they will patiently wait. It becomes a social pressure sort of situation- I've definitely found myself at an intersection, wanting to dart across, but I'll notice several Norwegians, already patiently waiting. And, in my endless determination not to act like a foreigner, I too wait.
Image via Open Culture.
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