What happened to using the sidewalks?

[ChrisFL]

It seems like wherever I drive in neighborhoods these days, people insist on walking in the street...even if the sidewalks are clean and go all the way around the neighborhood.

The worst part is when I'm having to drive around them and they look at me like I'm the one who's in the wrong

I've seen this with all ages too, kids, adults, etc.

Just today I was driving in a neighborhood and there's a woman standing in the middle of the road (literally) talking to her friends, and she looked at me weird as I had to drive around the left (wrong) side of the road to get past her.

Is there some danger to sidewalks that I haven't heard about?

 

[HelenePA]

I'm SOOOO guilty of this! when we see a car we move to the side til it passes.. the sidewalks here are horrible! I can not push a stroller on the sidewalks its impossible! They are also broken up with patches of grass. Gotta love small town living. Most people around here do it though.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I've noticed it too. Walking, biking, and running in the city streets while there are perfectly good sidewalks unused. It does cause traffic and safety issues. And as a driver it is annoying.

 

[Dismagic1]

It seems like wherever I drive in neighborhoods these days, people insist on walking in the street...even if the sidewalks are clean and go all the way around the neighborhood.

The worst part is when I'm having to drive around them and they look at me like I'm the one who's in the wrong

I've seen this with all ages too, kids, adults, etc.

Just today I was driving in a neighborhood and there's a woman standing in the middle of the road (literally) talking to her friends, and she looked at me weird as I had to drive around the left (wrong) side of the road to get past her.

Is there some danger to sidewalks that I haven't heard about?

Nope. The only time people use sidewalks is when they're walking their dog so the dog can poop in someone else's yard. Pretty nice huh?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm SOOOO guilty of this! when we see a car we move to the side til it passes.. the sidewalks here are horrible! I can not push a stroller on the sidewalks its impossible! They are also broken up with patches of grass. Gotta love small town living. Most people around here do it though.

I have to say I'm not annoyed by those that are considerate of drivers (as I am considerate of others that use the street). You sound considerate. Some of the streets I travel are very narrow and it's not fun when you are trying to avoid hitting people and they don't make it any easier on you.

 

[monkeyboy]

Hey if they walk/run/bike in street its open game

 

[mckryan]

Concrete sidewalks are tough on the joints, so it's easier to on them to walk on the asphalt.

 

[nephthys43]

OMG! i was just thinking this the other morning!!! there is this woman who walks all over the neighborhood every morning. always in the street. she never moves to the side. you just have to creep along behind her until she decides to move over. i almost hit her the other morning cause she decided to walk out from behind a parked truck and then cross the street without looking. what the heck!!! did she think i could magically see through the truck and see that she was there?!! she's lucky it was me and not one of the teenagers that speed up and down the street. she's gonna get hit one day. and our sidewalks are brand new, so messed up sidewalks isn't the reason.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Hey if they walk/run/bike in street its open game

Note to self: go driving with monkeyboy some time

 

[Sparx]

I don't live in a very pedestrian friendly city. There aren't a lot of sidewalks at all, especially in residential areas. I always try to share the road with pedestrians.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I've noticed the same behavior, ChrisFL! We've got pretty decent sidewalks around here, and I can see it in winter when some people shovel the sidewalks and some don't (even though everybody should) so walkers are better off in the street where they're sure of the surface....

But, to be honest, bicycles ARE vehicles should be ridden safely at the side of the road (not on the sidewalk) with riders obeying ALL traffic laws.

While we're at it - and we learned this WAY back in first grade, and I can't imagine the rules of safety changing in mm-mm years - when there's no sidewalk, pedestrians need to walk facing traffic for the most safety. Now, since technology's changed in all that time, this is my advice only: when you do need to walk along the side/edge of the street, please do it without the distraction of iPods, cellphones, mp3 players, etc. The entire reason for facing traffic is so you know what's coming and have as much reaction time as possible. If you can't HEAR the traffic, you're losing a lot of your early warning time.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I've noticed it too. Walking, biking, and running in the city streets while there are perfectly good sidewalks unused. It does cause traffic and safety issues. And as a driver it is annoying.

In bike-friendly Portland, it is illegal to ride bikes on the sidewalk but there are also A LOT of bike lanes. It's kind of funny because I've yet to see anywhere else that will have 50+ bikes in parking garages of corporate buildings.

 

[LaurenLC]

Concrete sidewalks are tough on the joints, so it's easier to on them to walk on the asphalt.

Getting hit by a car is pretty tough on the joints too.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Getting hit by a car is pretty tough on the joints too.

Not to mention the skin, the blood vessels, the arteries, the skull, the brain, the spleen, other organs...

 

[diznygirl]

It seems like wherever I drive in neighborhoods these days, people insist on walking in the street...even if the sidewalks are clean and go all the way around the neighborhood.

The worst part is when I'm having to drive around them and they look at me like I'm the one who's in the wrong

I've seen this with all ages too, kids, adults, etc.

Just today I was driving in a neighborhood and there's a woman standing in the middle of the road (literally) talking to her friends, and she looked at me weird as I had to drive around the left (wrong) side of the road to get past her.

Is there some danger to sidewalks that I haven't heard about?

Do you live in my neighborhood? Happens here alllllllllll the time. And the sidewalks are nice.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Hey if they walk/run/bike in street its open game

Do you keep track of your points? I use the standard UK points system, but my DH has swapped over to the Texas method of tracking, but I find that too complicated.

Also, do you subtract for bicycles or add? I've got friends that do both. Of course, we all adhere to the standard of exponintially increasing our score if we hit both a pedestrian AND a stroller in one swoop, but I understand that in Chicago Standard you can only take a times 2. . .

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Well our Crazy Neighbor Lady next door once tried to mow me down when I was on the sidewalk, so I don't know that the sidewalks are all that safe either.

 

[aprilgail2]

In bike-friendly Portland, it is illegal to ride bikes on the sidewalk but there are also A LOT of bike lanes. It's kind of funny because I've yet to see anywhere else that will have 50+ bikes in parking garages of corporate buildings.

Its illegal here too- sidewalks are for walking- bikes belong in the street.

 

[FireDancer]

Well, it depends.

Cycling should never be done on the sidewalk, especially if you are training. When I am out on my road bike it is a vehicle that, according to traffic law, is perfectly legal to drive on the roads obeying the proper laws (which do differ in many circumstances to those of cars). Not only are the sidewalks too uneven for a 23-27mm bicycle tire to make it any significant distance without puncture but the speeds at which you can go on a good road bike are just not safe for the sidewalk.

When I am running I almost always run in the street unless it is a busy road. The roads I run on are sidestreets that get low traffic. I run as close to the side of the road as safe. The roads are mostly asphalt as opposed to concrete or, even worse, slate. That makes them much softer and better on the legs. They are also much more even and landing on uneven surfaces, especially on longer runs, is terrible for the knees.

Walking, however, I don't do in the street if sidewalks are available. I am not going at a fast enough pace for the same issues involved with running to surface. Of course for those who have knee problems they may need to even go slower distances on the more forgiving street.

I never run or cycle with headphones or any other distraction. I cycle with traffic and usually run against it as that is the safest for both. The traffic is so light on the roads I run though that usually I will run on the left and if a car is coming and there is none coming the other way I cross over the center line until they pass.

When I am driving and come up on a runner, walker, or cyclist I stay far enough behind for them to fall and not end up under my car and when I pass I give at least a 3 foot birth. I will gladly drive slowly behind any of them for a while and pass safely as opposed to rush past and possibly kill someone just trying to stay fit.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

If I walk, it's always on the sidewalk... unless of course there isn't one.

If I'm running, as long as it's a decent sidewalk I'll use the sidewalk. If it's very uneven, then I won't because when I run in the non-trail areas, I like to kind of zone out and worry about tripping every two seconds. But, I most run on trails or at the gym. It's been the gym more often lately because it's harder to carry around a textbook and run than it is to lay the textbook on the treadmill and run.