That's why I walk defensively, too. I never put myself in a situation where a driver would have to use their brakes -- because, after all, can I be sure that they'd see me? Whether on foot, on my bike, or in my car, I try to make eye contact with whichever vehicle or person has even the slightest chance of crossing my path. If I can't see their eyeballs looking at me, I expect them to be completely idiotic.
At last, a sensible pedestrian! They do exist. I'm in Massachusetts, where drivers have to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Unfortunately, that means that a lot of people just walk across the road without looking first or giving drivers any chance to stop. Pedestrians may have the right of way, but they also need to have common sense. Stop, look both ways, make eye contact with anyone coming your way, make sure they see you and are stopping for you, THEN cross the road.
From a driver's perspective, cyclists are the worst, though. Too many of them act like they own the road: they don't look, they don't signal, they come out of nowhere, and when they travel in groups they spread out into the road rather than riding single file. One time as I was stepping off the bus I nearly got run over by a cyclist who yelled at me for not watching where I was going. I nearly threw my bag at him, and he would've taken a good fall if I hit him right.
But at least I don't see cyclists talking on cell phones. Yet.