I've noticed that, even just in the few days since arriving in the Boston area, my interactions with drivers and other pedestrians has altered somewhat.
I've been rather used to the whole auto mentality. When I'm behind a wheel, I go fast and I scorn other drivers and pedestrians who, as a rule, seem to be operating under some sort of death-wish principle. Weirdos.
But now I see things from the foot-bourne perspective: I own the road as a pedestrian. Cars must yield to me. (It's a Massachusetts state law, after all.) Of course, that doesn't prevent me from looking both ways as I'm about to cross a road, (the law wouldn't really keep me from getting crushed by an unwary or impatient ton of metal), but it does mean that I've been stepping out more boldly instead of hesitantly holding back at crosswalks if I notice a vehicle within oh, a mile or so of my present location.
In fact, I'm becoming a bold pedestrian.
Not all that bold, of course--I still pause until the little sign says "Walk" instead of "Don't Walk"--but I'm getting there. Maybe by the time my semester starts I'll be jaywalking all over the place and only just being missed by ginormous trucks and little red Volkswagen beetles.
Or maybe I'll just stick with the crosswalks and the nice "Walk" signals.
But I'll sure have a confident (impudent, even) attitude about the whole thing. Just see if I don't.
6 comments:
Baltimore has taught me to jaywalk like a bandit. I really surprised my brother and sister once when we were in downtown Seattle because I would stride across any old street I came upon, traffic lights and pedestrian signals be darned. But I still have nothing on the fine citizens of Baltimore, whom I have seen walk right into busy traffic. Sometimes when I'm driving, it seems like I'm only missing them by a couple of inches. Much different in Utah, where there's either (a) no cars in sight, or (b) the road is so wide that the lights are going to change at least a couple times while you're crossing. So cross with impunity and pride!
My dear, surely it goes without saying (although I will surely say it anyway) that if I worry about you having wet feet, I will most assuredly worry about you being smashed to bits by a four ton UPS truck. Be bold, but be smart. Be wise, but be harmless.But do not, under any circumstances, be road kill.
I think my favorite jaywalking experience was on my mission (of course). I was on an exchange with I think one of the AP's and we were walking down the street. It was rather late and there weren't many people out, except a guy on the other side of the rather large and busy Tokyo road. Naturally, the AP I'm with darts across the road yelling, "Excuse me, excuse me, do you have a sec?!" Wow, what an experience. We scared the daylights out of that guy.
I suppose one must be bold in a busy city, but please do try to avoid that "run down feeling," you look much better as a 3 dimentional being than you would in 1 dimension!
...Remember - being flat makes you look fat!
(tee hee)
Be bold.
But be careful.
Use your pedestrian mentality and your auto mentality together, and you can't go wrong. :)
I once heard tell (and I'm not sure if it's true or not, but hey) that there's someplace in...Europe, I think?...where if you look both ways before you cross the street, drivers will intentionally try to hit you, so the only way to cross safely is to just step out into traffic and the cars will stop.
So anyway--Christian, I just realized that maybe this was Baltimore and not Europe...
And actually, come to think of it, I don't think I believe this story.
But thanks for the advice anyway. I'll be sure to keep my impunity and pride tucked neatly in my pocket whenever I cross. :)
Mom, no worries. I'll keep my eyes peeled for them UPS trucks (and even for the little Volkswagens). I love that you teach me not to be road kill. You're such a cool mom!
Pete, that experience is blasted awesome. You just gotta love APs and their nearly suicidal enthusiasm. :) (Er. You weren't suicidally enthusiastic when you were an AP, were you?)
And Pat, thanks much! :) I actually prefer my three-dimensionalness as well. I'll try to avoid being squishified.
And Lindsay, excellent advice. I think the right answer is almost always middle-groundish. Almost always.
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