While Ms. Hall [ODE, Oct. 30, 2008] has a valid point about bicyclists’ disrespect to pedestrians on campus, she is missing an important fact: Pedestrians can be just as careless. As a pedestrian and people-watcher in the University campus community for more than 10 years, I have seen a disturbing trend first-hand: students ambling through campus with less and less regard for those around them.
For me it’s usually the simple matter of crossing paths with two people side-by-side on a narrow sidewalk and not being given room to pass until I literally have to stop in my tracks.
What really irks me, though, is the ridiculous backup of cars at East 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street that wait for what seems like forever for either a break in the foot traffic, or a kind-hearted few students to stop at the curb and allow them to go on their way. Sometimes the resulting backup causes gridlock all the way back to Alder Street, and it usually keeps the buses from maintaining their important schedules. Frankly, it embarrasses me to be part of the University community when I see the student body showing such gross disrespect for others, who obviously have somewhere to go, just like they do.
Respect for your fellow passersby is literally a two-way street and it also goes all the way up the “transportation chain.” Everyone, from pedestrians to bicyclists to motorists, needs to respect each other, because we all share the same roads. Sure, we could get the city to install a crossing signal of some sort – but we shouldn’t have to resort to that, now should we?
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