To respond to Mr. Sumner and piggyback on Ms. Dahl's statements: In my opinion, the driving public has no place criticizing the behavior of bicyclists or pedestrians until every time an automobile approaches an intersection the driver is watching for a pedestrian and prepared to stop. Every intersection is a crosswalk, whether clearly delineated or not. And a crosswalk, when occupied, is a stop sign. There should be no expectation that the pedestrian should run; our crosswalks should be safe for those, like children and the elderly, who cannot move quickly out of the way of speeding cars.
Until the walking public has a reasonable degree of faith that crosswalks will be respected, jaywalking will continue. Why walk another half-block if my chances of being run down are the same at the corner as they are in the middle of the street? As long as we're throwing out traffic laws we wish would be enforced: when I, as a bicyclist, am in the right lane of a four-lane thoroughfare, you drivers out there are legally required to change lanes, with a clear signal to the cars behind you. Not straddle the line. Not blow past me at forty-five, coming within six inches of my left hand. And it is not an appropriate situation for you to use your horn. I should not be expected to vie with parked cars for space on the shoulder. Robin Garwood Seward Elected Member, Mpls/5th District Green Party Steering Committee _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
