Thursday, January 8, 2015

A pedestrian unfriendly state

"The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury: Quote from Book Review by Robert M. Woods: link

Please don't blame the pedestrian victim here: Crazy pedestrians or a brainless disregard for them? I am a veteran walker in both  Warwick and Cranston. When I lived on Church Ave. with my dear departed brother Ray, a radio technician for the Warwick Police Department, I was annoyed how frequently pedestrians at crosswalks were ignored or endangered even with a blinking WALK sign.

In general Rhode Island is not pedestrian friendly. Ray Bradbury wrote a funny story "The Pedestrian": In the future U.S.A. any walker is considered suspicious by the police. A man showing this "regressive tendency" is followed by a police car and questioned by a Robo-Cop. And I recall a cop car invariably in sight whenever I hiked up Church Ave. on my way to scenic Conimicut Point.

There must be more crosswalks on major streets and intersections. And the cities are getting cheap on lights. And drivers must be warned frequently to be alert  for pedestrians-even those CRAZY ones. I recall one car that did stop for me at the Church Ave. crosswalk. The driver behind him vented his rage by blowing the horn. The Car is the modern Moloch! 

( Comment on Warwick Beacon editorial, (1/6/14 ,"Improving pedestrian safety")

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Ron