Nick, I know exactly what you mean. I take the Metro to Dupont Circle for work every weekday, and never ceased to be amazed at drivers' complete disregard for pedestrians.

And there are no crosswalks in Dupont Circle. Oh, don't get me wrong -- there are parallel white lines at every intersection. It's just that drivers don't treat them as if they mean anything.

I regularly spit on cars stopped in crosswalks in Dupont, and encourage others to do the same. I'm also strongly considering starting to key them.