Walk Like You Drive

This will likely mean nothing to those of you whose primary mode of transportation is not your feet, but feel free to keep reading anyway. As someone coming from a "drive everywhere, all the time" culture who is now living in a "minimize your carbon footprint" culture, I think I have an interesting perspective on one similarity, of a sort, between the two.

In Dallas, I drove everywhere. If I needed to go to the store, I got in the car and went. If I needed to go check the mail, which was a block away, I either waited until I needed to go somewhere else to go get it, or I drove. And I think I was a damn good driver, although I suspect that members of law enforcement would not see it the same way. I drove fast and I had a slashing style. I was the Emmitt Smith of the highways. I don't think I was reckless, but if I needed to pass you, dammit, you were going to get passed. I fit my sporty little Acura through spaces at 80mph that would give little old ladies heart failure. I fondly remember the days of my mother with her foot pressed firmly on her imaginary chicken brake and a death grip on the "oh shit" handle. I don't mind saying that I hit 90 just about every day on my way home from work, and I loved it.

So then I did the unthinkable. I sold my car and moved to a town where 95% of my travel is done by foot. I could take my girlfriend's car, but my apartment is actually closer to work than any reasonably priced parking garage. So, I walk. And I've been doing this walking thing long enough now that I've noticed something. I walk like I used to drive. I walk fast, I cut in and out of crowds. When the light changes at the crosswalks, I'm usually the first one moving, and if I'm not I pass the first mover within a couple of feet. I totally kick ass at this walking thing.

I don't think it's just me either. The people I see ambling along on the sidewalk look like people that would be doing the same thing on the road. And I feel generally the same way about them! They mosey along in what I would consider the left lane of the sidewalk. They're oblivious to people trying to get around them. The ones that aren't oblivious speed up when you try to pass them. There are some that tailgate, which is really disturbing. It's surprising how little people differ between the car and the foot.