<p>It’s time for pedestrians to show some courtesy — toward drivers!</p>
It’s time for pedestrians to show some courtesy — toward drivers!
Vineyard drivers tend to be gracious when it comes to ceding right of way to those on bicycles, mopeds or foot. But the time has come — actually it’s long past — to ask pedestrians to reciprocate and extend some courtesy to drivers.
I’m not talking about pedestrians using crosswalks or strolling along the side of the road. My issue is with those who walk in the middle of the street, headphones firmly planted on head, oblivious to everything around them.
Today, for example, I was stuck in a line of cars attempting to leave the parking lot of the Vineyard Haven Post office. A young woman meandering through the lot, grooving to her music, was the cause of the traffic tie-up.
It was only a matter of minutes until the woman left the lot, and the congestion abated. Such entitled behavior is hardly an isolated event. The seemingly urgent need to text while walking, regardless of the venue, has made it commonplace.
Unless pedestrians shape up and start showing some awareness of the effect their behavior is having on us drivers, I may have to use my car horn to disrupt their reverie.
Caroline Baum
West Tisbury
Comments
Anyone else who reads your
Chillin in ChilmarkAnyone else who reads your letter will probably just roll their eyes and move on. So I will comment for all of us. The problem is yours. We love the woman "grooving to her music," enjoying life on the Vineyard. So sorry she didn't get out of your way fast enough. Maybe you should take her example, relax, and listen to some tunes in your car. And no, you may not hit the horn. It's not all about you.
I didn't roll my eyes at this
Eyesnotrolling EdgartownI didn't roll my eyes at this. I thought it was perfectly fair and far less harsh than the comments I hear on a regular basis from other real residents. However, the horn is there for safety, not to show annoyance. It might be a stretch to use it in this case. I use my horn when people ride bikes or mopeds while reading a smart phone riding in the wrong direction. And I have used it on occaision for pedestrians when they make a move that genuinely risks injury to themselves or others. I do agree, however, that this groovy woman didn't give a hoot about anybody else. She was the one being selfish. And her behavior is replicated by thousands of self involved nitwits on a daily basis here. I will honk my horn in your honor, Ms. Baum, pending the next set of appropriate circumstances. By late August our friend from up Island will be honking like mad, unless she has people to run her errands for her, in which case all we can do is roll our eyes.
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