[*BCM*] "Who's worse? Boston drivers or Boston pedestrians?

[Turtle]

On 6/3/07, Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org> wrote:
>
> =v= I am astonished that most of the people taking this
> stupid online poll actually say that pedestrians are worse
> than drivers:
>
> http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/13376798/detail.html
>
> Whatever happened to regional pride in bad driving, huh?
>     <_Jym_>


Pedestrians "get in the way of progress" dontcha know?

I think it mainly boils down to the fact that there are more pededstrians
than car or bike drivers put together, since pretty much everyone is a
pedestrian at least as some point in the day (even just walking from their
parked vehicle to the door).  And we are more aware of our own "faults" than
anything else, even if we don't like to admit that they belong to us...
(That childish saying "It takes one to know one." turns out to be
surprisingly true.)

Also, I think it's passe to complain about Boston Drivers in a been there
done that kind of way.  Complainaing about Boston Pedestrians is maybe just
the new and improved fad.

And then there is the "guilt complex" that makes people want to blame
someone else when there is a problem, rather than looking to fix the
problem.  (Instead of ticketing the people who fail to yield to the
pedestrians, how about telling the violators that they have to take a
refresher driver's ed course, like the do in California, if they want to
keep their license/vehicle?  And also doing a study about why drivers fail
to yeild to other traffic with the right of way, would lead to even more
effective solutions to the problem.)

Finally, isn't it sad that we have created a society that treats humans as
the lowest form of road user, with vehicles having far more rights and
priviledges (with bicyclists having the most rights of all)?  In Somerville
(and possibly in many other places too) the law actually mandates that
pedestrians only have the right to use the road where there are crosswalks.
Everywhere else, they have to yield to vehicles.  So, basically, if you
don't have at least some sort of vehicle (bike, car, bus, whatever) you're
legally screwed.

I mean, I love to bike, but I really think we'd have a far more peaceful and
healthy world if we gave the most sustainable, healthy, and social form of
transportation - walking - at least as many rights as the alternatives.  Ya
know?

-Turtle
wants to live somewhere where there are no roads
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