Angry Kent

Why do people move so slowly when they cross the street? Personally, I tend to break into a light jog when I cross. I’m not such a huge fan of standing in an open area with 2-ton steal boxes whizzing by.

Often people will appear to labor when they are crossing the street. Lift foot, plant foot, take breath, lift other foot. In San Francisco, where fleece outerwear remains popular, this gives the impression that the street crossers are living out their Walter Mitty mountain climbing fantasies. But they are neither traversing the Khumbu Icefall nor scaling the Hillary Step. Just crossing Van Ness. Six lanes of traffic. At sea level. It’s not the top of the world on the other side, just the 41 Muni line to take you from Cow Hollow to your job and a latte downtown.

Other people cross while glaring intently through windshields at drivers (me) who are looking to make a right hand turn. Yes, I know that you have the right of way but does that really mean you can’t pick up the pace? You’re not making some grand political statement about the sanctity of walking. This isn’t a bipedal version of a sit-in. Get over yourself. Really, you’re just slowing people down and wasting the gas of every car that sits idling.

We’ll leave people who text or email in crosswalks for another day. But the NY Times says it’s dangerous. (Yes, the NY Times is now reporting on common sense. Forget the election, the war, the financial crisis, pending energy crisis… We need the Gray Lady to alert us to the dangers of texting while walking in traffic.)

Anyway, unless you are disabled or wearing fabulous heels, pull your head out of your rectum and/or Blackberry, stop sauntering and move. It’s polite, it’s safe and it’s good for the environment.