Pedestrian's Prerogative

As a pedestrian I have come to realize the loss of my right to exercise a polite chivalry in allowing a car turning in or crossing a crosswalk to continue on while I wait a mere split-second for the miles of nothingness that follow said car. But the cars come to a complete dead stop even though they be tail-gaited, and seem to take gladly the risk of being rear-ended and given a lifelong disability of whiplash. And then being stopped they then wait with conditioned patience for me to cross even though I smile, cajole, put my hands together in supplication the car will not proceed. It is as if there were some omnipresent overseer of the new conscience that forbids them from receiving a pedestrian's goodwill. I lament this loss of a pedestrian's prerogative.