My favorite form of transportation is walking. Next, is the bicycle. This time of year, you can bundle up pretty good, pop in the earbuds - crank up the podcasts and get anywhere you want to go on foot. Put on some spikey galoshes or Yacktrax when it's icy. No locking up the bike. No finding a parking spot. Pretty darn convenient.
But, I knew it was going to be one of those days, when two days ago, I was walking downtown and got hit once by a car and had three near misses.
The hit - I was walking on the sidewalk/driveway in front of Huckleberry's parking lot. Car pulls up to turn onto Monroe. The driver checks to her left to clear traffic for her right-hand turn. I am walking from her right. She doesn't look to her right. I always look into the eyes of potential assassins, so I notice this, but too late. She turns into me and I bounce off her hood and fender. Not hard. I don't fall down and it doesn't hurt. She looks at me, over her shoulder, placidly as she proceeds up the hill. Sometimes when I have been hit, the ladies wave at me immediately after impact. We are a friendly town.
I've ridden the hood of a postal service vehicle while out for a jog. Some would consider this cheating.
There were a few more close calls in intersections on this obstacle-encountering mile-and-a-half trek downtown. The best was an elderly motorist's turn westbound onto Third - that is onto eastbound Third. The driver had to turn the wrong way in order to almost hit me in the crosswalk. He realized his mistake before contact was made. Which is nice.
At work, car accidents seem to increase when the weather turns pleasant, and this was a sunny day. So, maybe that was the problem. Maybe, I'm the problem.
5 comments:
It's bizarre to me that a motorist would not stop after impact with a pedestrian. A few days ago I watched a left-turning driver downtown nearly clock a pedestrian legally walking in a crosswalk. The pedestrian yelled, getting the driver's attention, and the driver swerved and roared away, she and her passenger laughing.
Of course, the city's answer to these collisions would be to post more of those "no pedestrian crossing" stickman signs.
Because, pedestrians are dangerous and inconvenient.
Maybe people misinterpret the whole "stick" man intent.
Eventually the city will outlaw walking and biking and then we'll all be safe and healthy.
Note to self: Politely decline when John asks, "wanna go for a walk?"
Whoa, my word verification is "paces". Eerie.
That is great you can walk, what about people with no legs?!!??
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