Why do people do this?

If this is all I can see of you at night at the last second when you're walking on the side of the road, then you are doing something VERY WRONG.

Tonight I was driving out to pick up my brother from his girlfriend's apartment as a favor to my parents, who were busy with other things. It's currently raining very hard out, and there is so much water on the roadway that a single car coming my way felt like daybreak trying to blind me.

My eyes have a tendency to be sensitive to light. When I drive at night, and a car is coming on, I do what my driving instructors always told me to do, and look to the white line on the side of the road, so I don't focus on the oncoming car and wind up permanently installed into their windshield. The only problem is, the lights still blind me temporarily, especially when they're new lights, or those crazy blue ones, or when people are rude enough to have their brights on. It's frustrating, but what else can I do?

So I was driving along on the road that I live just off of, and about to take a curve, knowing full well that there was a car coming, as I could see the reflections off of the water-covered roadway. I turned my attention to the white line of the curve, to guide myself (though it was insanely difficult to see thanks to the water reflecting light again), and try to slow down on the curve as quickly as I can. Suddenly, from nowhere, two figures clad entirely in black hoodies and dark pants are standing RIGHT next to my car, and instinctively I pulled the wheel closer to the yellow dividing lines in the middle of the road. Luckily I didn't cause an accident, but it put me in a scary situation.

Right after I picked up my brother, I was trying to turn right out of the parking lot, and suddenly was face to face with the figure of ANOTHER man in black, and I nearly ran HIM over as well! After we got into town again, I had my brother run into the store with the list from my parents. He quickly got everything on it, then we left. I saw a young lady in black cross the street at the cross walk, jog about ten feet from the other crosswalk, and then wait on the sidewalk until she had a chance to jaywalk across the street.

What is with people not thinking about what they're wearing, and then practically leaping in front of cars?! It's dark out. It's raining. Visibility sucks. Not everyone has 20/20 vision like I do, and even then I found it hard to spot them. Why are you wearing black at night? Do you care at all for your safety?

Please, please PLEASE, if you're going to walk at night, think to buy a reflector of some sort, or at least wear bright clothing so that you're easier for drivers to see, because who knows... The next time you go for a stroll in your black hoodie could be the day that somebody's grandmother becomes a killer.

-Manda-