[ExI] worst cities for walking vs dead man walking

John Grigg possiblepaths2050 at gmail.com
Fri Mar 25 22:29:40 UTC 2011


Spike wrote:

>   Transportation for America released a new study<http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign/>on which U.S. cities are most dangerous for pedestrians. If you're going for
> a stroll in Florida, keep your wits about you: Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and
> Jacksonville take the top spots.
>
> The report blames most pedestrian deaths on what they call "poorly designed
> arterial roads"-they're high-speed, multi-lane city streets lined with
> shopping centers, drive-throughs, apartments, and office space, yet devoid
> of pedestrian-friendly elements like crosswalks.
>


I find it ironic that you bring this up because I do a great deal of
walking around my city of Mesa, Arizona, and I have had some disturbing
experiences to say the least.   I was recently crossing a busy intersection
when the walk signal was on, and while directly in front of a car that was
at a complete stop, the driver took off at high speed and it took all my
youthful speed and fitness to just barely get out of the way in time!  It
was a new and expensive looking mid-sized pickup, with two very well-dressed
and prosperous looking young men inside, probably still in their twenties.
They were in the far right side turn lane, but they broke the law by not
yielding to me, and so instead chose to commit attempted vehicular assault.

I waved my fist at them and then followed the vehicle with my eyes and to my
great surprise they drove into a nearby parking lot, and then got out of the
car to walk into a pizza joint.  I then looked up at the busy intersection
and realized the city had never bothered to put cameras up to monitor what
goes on there! lol  I felt enraged by what had happened, but without
witnesses or camera footage, I felt confronting the driver would be a waste
of time, or even might result in my own arrest because I was so angry that I
was afraid I might lose my temper with him.  I saw the two men soon leave
the restaurant and drive off.

When I got home I discussed what happened with a friend, who felt I should
have gotten their license plate number and called it in to the police,
simply making a report (rather than demanding that an officer show up to
hear "me versus them") to say a driver nearly hit me in an inexcusable way,
that they may make a habit of this and kill or maim someone down the road
(and of course do a hit and run...), and so I am reporting them to build up
a potential case and "paper trail."

I more than ever see how having very portable and inexpensive digital
recorders on everyone could make for a much safer and more polite world!
Spike, this thread cannot just be about poorly designed roads and
statistics, but also the ethically deficient, conscience impaired people
who make our streets very dangerous...

John
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