Recently, New York State Sen. Carl Kruger announced legislation he plans to introduce that would place a fine on pedestrians wearing headphones while crossing the street. Now, I’m sure the senator has a big heart; however, it is questionable whether there is any correlation between the greatness of one’s heart and the size of one’s brain. Is it possible this senator could be so regressive as to penalize a pedestrian crossing the street? Naturally when a pedestrian is struck by a car or bus, the liability and blame should lay on the pedestrian. I mean, it only makes sense because this person is obviously either unable or unwilling to operate an automobile, so they should be held responsible.
Perhaps my argument is a little one-sided, but opposed to what you may think at this point, I do own a car. I drive it only when I cannot help but do so, it cost me $450, and I have put a lot of work into it. I take the university’s free bus almost daily. When I don’t ride the bus, I ride my bike. (Riding a bike around here is a nightmare, by the way. I can say that anyone who has done so truly knows what it is like to fear for his or her own life.) When I drive down Greenbelt Road or Route 1 at 35 mph, do I stop for every person on the corner waiting to cross? No. However, I do patiently wait for pedestrians who are in the crosswalk, and I never turn in front of people as they try to cross the street, even when the light is green.
My point is that even though it is easy to blame the pedestrian for being hit, as the New York senator does, it is always the driver of the automobile who is doing the hitting. When it comes time for us to cross the street, it is always the obligation of drivers to allow those of us without steel cages (complete with airbags) to cross the street without fear represented in the form of a needlessly rushed, inconsiderate driver.
I am grateful for the wonderful policy on the campus, that allows pedestrians to always have the right of way. This is not the case off the campus, as many people are aware of. Route 1 is a horrendous street. It is rare that anyone gives the pedestrians the right of way on that godforsaken stretch. Some may suggest that walkers and bike riders learn to take public or university transit. While not a total cure, these services do keep those who would otherwise be pedestrians out of harm’s way. I think this is a valid comment, but I would remind you that most areas are not serviced by transit, and these services are sometimes more of a hassle than they are worth. In addition, although we may be rare, there are people who simply prefer to walk or ride their bikes. This may be a foreign concept to some, but many people believe it is not necessary to bring two tons of steel with them when they go to buy a gallon of milk.
The take-home message is this: When we drive our cars, whether on the campus, in the city or on some rural road (if you can find one), we must remember that we are doing just that – driving a car. We do not suddenly have an urgent need to be somewhere any more than anyone else does. Please be considerate to those of us who are not driving. If we hit your car, you’ll be fine, I promise. But if you hit us, we probably won’t be.
Brandon C. Blische is a junior community health major. He can be reached at brandon@blische.net.
