Pedestrians - RANT

Deelee

Deelee

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Deelee
I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks along every road, street, cul-de-sac, drive, court... you name it. If it is a paved, drivable surface, there is a nice, well-maintained sidewalk on either side of it. The kind of sidewalk that should be ever so inviting to pedestrians out for their mid-day strolls. The kind of concrete ribbon that just screams - "Hey! You! Walking-person! Why not walk on me? Look how well-maintained and pedestrian-friendly I am!"

Why, then, do I encounter half-a-dozen foot mobile humans striding at a walking pace on the (side usually, sometimes in the middle!) of the road every day on my way to the gym? I'm not talking about a one-off person who may be confused about the purpose of a sidewalk. I am talking about many, many fellow neighbours who decide to use the road to plod along instead of the sidewalk. Some of them don't even use the side of the road. They use the part of the road normally reserved for powered vehicles that could, if improperly operated, make them into a pedestrian-pancake.

Is this a common thing? Do people like the way the road feels under their feet as opposed to the concrete of the sidewalk? Is this some sort of COVID thing that I am not aware of (social distancing from other pedestrians?)??

Whatever the reason, it's getting dangerous. I should probably post this petty gripe on one of the local neighbourhood moms facebook pages where it belongs. But since it is a rant, I figured its rightful place was here.
 
Sidewalks and paved bike trails, signage, painted lines, maintenance including snow blowing applying ice melt = giant waste of natural resources.

One gal her jogged the same route all the time, one day her shoe caught an imperfection in the sidewalk, she tripped fell, and busted up her face. She sued the city...
 
Yeah. It's like I live in a world where otherwise educated adults don't understand that our Great County put these sidewalks there for their exclusive use. Maybe us motorists should start to use the sidewalks in retaliation. Or for safety since most pedestrians have abandoned them for the hot, black asphalt on which I drive.
 
Around here (near Boston MA), there are a few that do that... probably fewer shortly after it has rained. <evil grin>
 
Deelee said:
Yeah. It's like I live in a world where otherwise educated adults don't understand that our Great County put these sidewalks there for their exclusive use. Maybe us motorists should start to use the sidewalks in retaliation. Or for safety since most pedestrians have abandoned them for the hot, black asphalt on which I drive.
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Encourage them to use the sidewalks by activating the windshield washer as you pass by. Heaven forbid your washer nozzle was poorly aimed for windshield cleaning.
 
bnt83 said:
activating the windshield washer as you pass by
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I like this very much!

[This may spawn another rant thread. Super annoying when the motor-vehicle in front of you depresses the windshield-washer-fluid-dispenser for an extended period of time thus dousing the trailing vehicle with soap-product}
 
Deelee said:
I like this very much!

[This may spawn another rant thread. Super annoying when the motor-vehicle in front of you depresses the windshield-washer-fluid-dispenser for an extended period of time thus dousing the trailing vehicle with soap-product}
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That's usually a sign they are tired of being tailgated.
 
Deelee said:
Maybe us motorists should start to use the sidewalks in retaliation.
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I think that is already happening in my neighborhood. All the curbs in my neighborhood are concrete that softly angles into the sidewalk, so a bunch of cars essentially end up parking with two wheels all the way up on the sidewalk - which, mind you, apparently isn't reinforced enough to have cars constantly sitting on them - thus blocking pedestrians' path of travel (most of whom all do use the sidewalks for walking dogs/running, etc.) and forcing them into the street to get around them.
 
I like to pull up behind said pedestrian and hold down the horn until they get off the street.
Works every time.

Tim

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk
 
bnt83 said:
I swear some driver's brains are turned off so much by driving that they would follow me to a complete stop on an interstate with wide open lanes on both sides.
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I have seen people follow malfunctioning cars as they pull off the freeway. I call these people bumper zombies. They stare at the bumper of the car in front of them and follow it wherever it goes.

Tim
 
Concrete is harder than asphalt, which is harder than natural terrain, so over time can do more damage to knees and hips. Therefore when able, I walk on the asphalt-paved streets in our neighborhood. That said, I try to be conscientious of the automobile traffic and stay out of your way, and hop on the sidewalk if needed. And I usually walk between 8 and 10 at night; never during rush hour.

I will micro-rant back and say if you and I are converging on your driveway at the same time, give me some indication it is your driveway -- instead of creeping behind me matching my pace for half a block and making me worry you are the mob perhaps mistaking me for your assigned hit -- and I will expedite my passage.
 
bnt83 said:
Encourage them to use the sidewalks by activating the windshield washer as you pass by.
Click to expand...

Like spraying a cat that won't stay off of your countertop.

I had an engineer friend years back who adapted a battery-powered super soaker, light source, and photocell to squirt his cats when they jumped up on the kitchen counter when he wasn't home. He said it worked really well as a training tool
 
bnt83 said:
Encourage them to use the sidewalks by activating the windshield washer as you pass by. Heaven forbid your washer nozzle was poorly aimed for windshield cleaning.
Click to expand...

Or roll some coal if you're in a diesel, lol.

giphy.gif
 
Van Johnston said:
micro-rant back and say if you and I are converging on your driveway at the same time, give me some indication it is your driveway
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I sometimes do stalk people as they meander down the my street prior to getting to my driveway. But, as a good driver, I always engage my turn indication lighting system.
 
In Northern Wisconsin in the winter I was told not to walk on the sidewalks. Apparently that's where the snow machines run. The street was safer for walking.
 
bnt83 said:
Sidewalks and paved bike trails, signage, painted lines, maintenance including snow blowing applying ice melt = giant waste of natural resources.

One gal her jogged the same route all the time, one day her shoe caught an imperfection in the sidewalk, she tripped fell, and busted up her face. She sued the city...
Click to expand...

Did she win?
 
Funny thing is, until 100 years ago, people mostly shared the roads with horses, motorized carriages, wagons, etc. Then various auto clubs created the term "jaywalking" and shamed pedestrians off of the roads which forced the creation of sidewalks where there had been none before.
 
Deelee said:
I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks along every road, street, cul-de-sac, drive, court... you name it. If it is a paved, drivable surface, there is a nice, well-maintained sidewalk on either side of it. The kind of sidewalk that should be ever so inviting to pedestrians out for their mid-day strolls. The kind of concrete ribbon that just screams - "Hey! You! Walking-person! Why not walk on me? Look how well-maintained and pedestrian-friendly I am!"

Why, then, do I encounter half-a-dozen foot mobile humans striding at a walking pace on the (side usually, sometimes in the middle!) of the road every day on my way to the gym? I'm not talking about a one-off person who may be confused about the purpose of a sidewalk. I am talking about many, many fellow neighbours who decide to use the road to plod along instead of the sidewalk. Some of them don't even use the side of the road. They use the part of the road normally reserved for powered vehicles that could, if improperly operated, make them into a pedestrian-pancake.

Is this a common thing? Do people like the way the road feels under their feet as opposed to the concrete of the sidewalk? Is this some sort of COVID thing that I am not aware of (social distancing from other pedestrians?)??

Whatever the reason, it's getting dangerous. I should probably post this petty gripe on one of the local neighbourhood moms facebook pages where it belongs. But since it is a rant, I figured its rightful place was here.
Click to expand...
Social distancing.
 
Van Johnston said:
Concrete is harder than asphalt, which is harder than natural terrain, so over time can do more damage to knees and hips. Therefore when able, I walk on the asphalt-paved streets in our neighborhood. That said, I try to be conscientious of the automobile traffic and stay out of your way, and hop on the sidewalk if needed. And I usually walk between 8 and 10 at night; never during rush hour.
Click to expand...
I wondered why so many people jogged in the bike lane until someone explained that it was bad to run on concrete. Asphalt is softer. I'd like to ride my bike on the sidewalk, but there's an age limit, and I exceed it. But sometimes I do anyway.
 
cul-de-Sac. You just had to get personal there, did you.
 
Everskyward said:
I wondered why so many people jogged in the bike lane until someone explained that it was bad to run on concrete. Asphalt is softer. I'd like to ride my bike on the sidewalk, but there's an age limit, and I exceed it. But sometimes I do anyway.
Click to expand...

If the asphalt is softer for a runner, it is very bad asphalt and won't hold up to road traffic. No, people run in the bike lanes so they don't have to jump on and off sidewalks.

And I'm okay with that. As long as you aren't coming at me and keep to your right.
 
Sac Arrow said:
If the asphalt is softer for a runner, it is very bad asphalt and won't hold up to road traffic. No, people run in the bike lanes so they don't have to jump on and off sidewalks.

And I'm okay with that. As long as you aren't coming at me and keep to your right.
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Actually, I'm fine if you are coming at me, as long as you keep to the inside and give me room.
 
Sac Arrow said:
If the asphalt is softer for a runner, it is very bad asphalt and won't hold up to road traffic. No, people run in the bike lanes so they don't have to jump on and off sidewalks.
Click to expand...
Jump on and off sidewalks? Most (all?) sidewalks here have curb cuts. Besides, it isn't much of a jump for a jogger.
 
PaulS said:
You should be walking/jogging to the gym
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Now this is true. But it is beside the point.

Or maybe it isn't. Since we walk on the road and drive (or at least park with two wheels) on the sidewalk... maybe we have entered some sort of parallel universe. A universe where I actually run/walk 2.5 miles to exercise.

Up is down. Left is right. High wings are better. It's all opposite.... I don't know what to believe anymore.
 
Sac Arrow said:
cul-de-Sac
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Oops. Sorry! But I meant it in the most flattering of terms -
cul derived from culinary... a nod to your expertise in the area of fast-food lettuce-wrapped-burgers...
de taken from the ancient druid term for 'finder of pubs'
sac... well...
 
Everskyward said:
I wondered why so many people jogged in the bike lane until someone explained that it was bad to run on concrete. Asphalt is softer. I'd like to ride my bike on the sidewalk, but there's an age limit, and I exceed it. But sometimes I do anyway.
Click to expand...
I thought runners had specially balanced, light shoes that needed replacing every few months.
I'm fine with runners on the bike trails...just stay to one side and give me room.
Now those people with the dogs on the 20 foot leash... human on one side of the trail, dog on the other. I'm tempted to catch the wire, but it'd hurt the poor dog the most.
 
JScarry said:
Maybe you should get your lazy ass out of the car and walk to the gym
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Easy there, fellow aviation enthusiast! At least I'm going to the gym. No need for the personal attacks. Or are you a sidewalk-hating, road traveling pedestrian and have somehow been offended my this?

And I don't want to walk.... too dangerous walking in the road. And walking on the sidewalk just doesn't seem right anymore.
 
flhrci said:
consult Cul-de- @Sac Arrow for advice
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Excellent advice! While my winged machine undergoes her FAA-mandated annual examination, I shall engage the services of one Cul-De-Sac-Arrow to enhance my ranting.
 
Sac Arrow said:
If the asphalt is softer for a runner, it is very bad asphalt and won't hold up to road traffic. No, people run in the bike lanes so they don't have to jump on and off sidewalks.
Click to expand...

I saw once they measured the difference in deflection between concrete and asphalt of a runner... there was no difference. Now, what I can see is that asphalt isn't as smooth so there is more give in your shoes so you don't hit as hard, but the material isn't deflecting.
 
Deelee said:
Easy there, fellow aviation enthusiast! At least I'm going to the gym. No need for the personal attacks. Or are you a sidewalk-hating, road traveling pedestrian and have somehow been offended my this?

And I don't want to walk.... too dangerous walking in the road. And walking on the sidewalk just doesn't seem right anymore.
Click to expand...
In some parts of the country, its getting too dangerous just to live there, let alone go outside your home. :(

BTW, what is this exercise thing you speak of? :)
 
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