Crossing Calamity: Pedestrians And Vehicles Fight For The Right Of Way

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Usually crosswalks are at intersections. But what happens when it's in the middle of a busy road?

After a woman was hit Tuesday morning, a closer look at just how dangerous one walkway on Washington Street really is.

It's a crosswalk in the middle of the block along side City Hall and the Cook County Building, an area with lots of foot traffic.

Jennifer Finn makes an appeal to drivers on the south side of City Hall.

"Everyday I come out this way, you have to hold your hand out and tell them to stop because otherwise they will not stop," Finn said.

Drivers on Washington Street not yielding for pedestrians, despite signs telling them to do just that. When asked if drivers get upset with her...

"Oh yeah. They start talking back to you," Finn said.

A cabbie didn't even stop for a man walking with a cane. The driver disputed it. "I didn't do that," insisted the cab driver until he saw video of himself in the incident.

"The guy was far away from the intersection," said the cab driver.

Another driver said his view was blocked. He asked "how can I see the lady cross with that big a**truck?"

The question for pedestrians: do you walk or just wait?

"It's sort of like a guessing a game when you cross the street," said one pedestrian.

Perhaps Chicago drivers are not used to yielding in the middle of the block. But spokesperson for the city of Chicago Michael Claffey said drivers do have an obligation to stop for pedestrians.

Until that happens routinely, Jennifer Finn will worry.

"It's very frustrating because I'm waiting for a handicapped person or someone who's visually impaired to get hurt, you know, and I don't want that to happen," Finn said.

But Claffey said a full stop sign would not be warranted at City Hall location.