Pedestrian/driver interactions

Just a little observation about pedestrian habits and driving habits and their interplay, here in Brussels:

Streets here have pedestrians, cars/buses/trucks, bikes, motorcycles, and trams. By and large, it seems that pedestrians rule, and wheeled vehicles have a lot of respect for the bipeds. Pedestrians don't seem to jaywalk if that would inconvenience a vehicle, but otherwise jaywalking happens often enough. The cars seem to be driven aggressively (although not particularly quickly) in the environment of other cars, but very passively as soon as a pedestrian enters the equation-- it's a funny contrast. Trams are in the middle-- they rank lower than pedestrians, but higher than cars.

I've had numerous showdowns with cars, me on foot, the cars not. I've won every showdown, without even trying! I don't have the confidence that the native pedestrians have that the car will avoid me, so I stop at the cross-walk; but the drivers all know my intention to cross, and they'll just wait me out until I do! Most of America does not drive this way, but I would not be surprised if most of Europe does.