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Health & Fitness

Walking 101

Enough already. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a motorist, a cyclist and a pedestrian. The recent crosswalk fatalities while tragic have inspired an embarrassing amount of hand wringing. The problem is quite simple. Feel free to write this down and carry it with you whilst walking around. LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE YOU CROSS THE STREET! This is a basic rule taught to most grade school students. Its right up there with stop, look and listen. Stop, drop and roll. Don't take candy from strangers, that kinda thing. My 6 year old friends and I had this down pat. I realize that there is no app for common sense so everyone will have to rough it. A crosswalk is not a magic force field in a video game. It will not shield you from your own stupidity. If you wish to take your chances with a couple of tons of steel, you should know you will likely lose that challenge. Add to this the fact that you are in a tourist town with lots of frustrated, distracted and bewildered drivers. That frustration also leads to tailgating, a bad habit that seems rampant here. It may not be safe for a driver to suddenly lock up on the brakes while you decide to enter the crosswalk casino. In many cases, the driver is not always looking up, a sad reality of the post "smart phone" roadway. While we're on the subject of phones...put 'em away. You can update your Facebook page when you get home. You are navigating in a very real world with very real consequences. This goes for everyone on the road. I have actually observed cyclists texting. Another favorite is the combination hoodie/text while standing next to a crosswalk in a snowstorm. Its sorta tough to maintain situational awareness while you're looking down with zero peripheral vision. Drivers cannot read your mind. Drivers. Texting, texting texting. Texting while trying to back a Bradley Fighting Vehicle with a 15 foot blind spot out of a space at Stop & Shop also strikes me as idiotic. That maneuver while fun to watch is yet another recipe for disaster. Think small children. The bottom line here is that we must all pay attention to what we're doing period. No amount of legislation is going to protect anyone from the laws of physics. I know we'll hear a lot of talk about patience and understanding, but after a lifetime here, I wouldn't count on it anytime soon. In the meantime, keep your head up and cover your ass.

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