Sidewalks

[entirelysonja]

Did you know that there are people who object to sidewalks? I had no idea until I heard about it on the radio this morning. Apparently, some people in my county feel that sidewalks are unsightly and interfere with the character of their neighborhoods. This must be upcounty somewhere, since everyone around here thinks it's inconvenient that there

Comments

[whiskeyjack]

My mom's neighbor is opposed to street lights because the town has to pay for the electricity and "you shouldn't be driving in the dark if you can't see, anyway."

[entirelysonja]

Wow. I've never heard that one before, either.

I object to improperly-designed streetlights that scatter excess light into the sky, but that's a whole different issue.

I was so flabbergasted by the sidewalk thing that I started a discussion about it on the radio station's web site:

http://conversation.wamu.org/forum/topic/show?id=1306650%3ATopic%3A3347

[phoenix_glow]

I agree. The anti-sidewalk thing is pretty weird. Of course you threw me for a loop when you said you had a woman in your playgroup who was against the domestication of animals. I really had to process that one. Not being able to sing "Baa baa black sheep" or "Old MacDonald" because someone finds the ideology behind it offensive really toasted my circuits.

Ah, it takes all kinds, hmm?

[entirelysonja]

I know more than one family that objects to the domestication of animals. It still boggles my mind even though I've known them for three years now.

[vegaenglit]

there are tons of areas of texas that have no sidewalks. they can be older areas (like my area - built in the 40s) or newer (jeremy's parents subdivision built in the late 60s/70s).

the best are the ADA compliant curbs to no where. or a sidewalk that dead ends into a telephone pole or utility box with no way to get around it without going into a busy street.

it really hampers to ability to get places safely without driving.

passion for sidewalks

[jlsgaladriel]

This is the first place I've lived that *needed* sidewalks that didn't have them, and it's killing me. It means that even if all I want to do is safely walk my dog, I have to *drive* someplace to walk. It's also proven to be a health issue for me: I hadn't realized before moving just how much of my casual exercise involved walking in my neighbourhood.

In short, I've become passionate about sidewalks. I notice and actively covet them when driving through other neighbourhoods. I will never again live on a street that needs them (ie not a rural area or vacation town) that doesn't have them.

[barking_iguana]

I guess sidewalks just encourage the troublesome riff raff.