Ah, that is the question. Yesterday city workers graded the gravel and today they poured the concrete. My husband isn’t here with his iPhone 6:30 a.m. alarm and my four-legged alarm, even leaving the shades up so the sun would stream in about 5:00 didn’t work. I think I need a trade-in that won’t let me sleep until 8:11 in the morning.
So, we went out for a walk immediately and ran into the city workers making “my” crosswalk. Someone came around the blind corner fast yet stopped for us. I thanked the workers and said I’d been trying to get this for months. Even with the construction tape around it I figured that between the yellow signs was the safest place to cross to get home from our walk.
What did they say? THEY almost got killed this morning! Two big trucks and a cement mixer and THEY were in danger. Tonight I checked on the setting concrete (visually) and at least 30 cars sped by us in the crosswalk without a thought of our safety or their jail time if they ran us over. Perhaps we should have a pedestrian protest and hold up signs like “Run over me! Go to Jail” while we cross at legal intersections.
Six months has gone into making us safer. I’ve gotten three stop signs, a “carriage crossing” whatever that means and soon to be a real crosswalk. They’re doing others in our neighborhood since recent deaths have occurred from speeding drivers.
Less than 1% compliance with state law is a travesty, of a mockery of a sham, so said Woody Allen back in the day. Even though this city supposedly has zero tolerance for jaywalkers, I’d jaywalk in a minute if I found a safe place on a street to do so, without curves that make it impossible to see oncoming traffic without venturing out into the street at a legal location.
“Dear Driver: I know you’re in a hurry to get somewhere. I have things to do as well, like walk my old dog. She’s fast but doesn’t understand the concept of traffic and just thinks she’s happy and safe all the time. She is and I’m glad of it so take our lives in my hands several times a day to take her for a walk.
You speed on our streets and deny pedestrians the right, written in State law, to cross at designated crosswalks because you want to get somewhere a minute or two faster. Please consider that these are your neighbors you are mowing down and killing just to get to where you want to go a few minutes sooner than if you obeyed the law.”
Thank you, Dee
ps No, they’ll never stop, not until we have the National Guard at every killing crosswalk for a few months. I’ve several other ideas but will leave it at that. Got one, leave earlier and you won’t have the need to speed, Top Gun-inspired.
Cooking with Dee 