What’s the rule about pedestrians in parking lots? Roadshow

Q: I was driving in a strip mall (northeast corner of Capitol and Berryessa) the other day when an elderly man came out from between two parked cars and almost stepped in front of me. I wasn’t going fast and hit the brakes.

But then I got a dirty look like I should have known that he wanted to cross the driveway then and there. There are no painted crosswalk lines at any point between the stores’ sidewalks and the parking lot.

What does the vehicle code say about situations like this?

Louis S.

A: The pedestrian has the right of way, but both the pedestrian and driver have the responsibility to keep each other safe.

Q: I bicycle past Mountain View High early in the morning on my way to work and I see the same four or five cars plugged into the chargers in one of the lots. My guess is that they were plugged in overnight.

It is summer break so these are not students or workers. Is this legal? What are the rules about people using free chargers at schools and businesses?

Jim Bodwin, Cupertino

A: It’s legal as long as there are no posted time limits for use of the chargers.

Q: I’m 72 years old and love new technology, though I don’t understand most of it. Friends my age don’t even want to try. You must want to learn it, and accept the learning curve that goes with it.

Rob Robie

A: I admire your spirit and learning perseverance.

Q: I love the Intelligent Cruise Control that was included in the suite of safety features in my 2020 Kia Optima. I use it whenever I can, about 80 percent of the time. I use it on all roads, from freeways to residential streets.

I set it for 72 mph on the freeway. If everyone ahead of me is going 72 or more, I stay at 72. If traffic ahead slows, my car slows and matches their speed. The car comes to a complete stop if the car in front of me stops, which happens more with non-freeway driving.

There are limitations, and it requires a learning curve to feel comfortable with it.