Share the Road
By Patricia Racine
I took a walk on a beautiful May evening and decided to go on the road instead of into the woods like I normally do (it was very wet in the woods). In the span of one mile I felt crowded by three cars, cars not giving enough room for a pedestrian even though no other car was coming in the opposite direction. Do I know who was driving the cars? No, but I do know that one was a group of younger people with Connecticut plates and the others were older people with Massachusetts plates. The other thing that I know is that it is early in the season and will only get worse, which is why I’m bringing it up.
A walker’s safety is a regular topic of conversation around here. I personally prefer to be in the woods because I would rather bet on my odds of being mauled by a bear (or serial killer) over being turned into road pizza by some distracted driver. I have friends on Algerie Road who feel the same way because that road is basically a superhighway now that it has been paved. And another on West Center Road who has plenty of colorful things to say about the drivers, but I’ll refrain from repeating those comments. The fact of the matter is that all over town drivers are just going too fast and not yielding enough to pedestrians, and yes, I too am guilty of exceeding the speed limit, but am definitely highly aware of people out there getting some steps in and give them wide berth.
Honestly, where are we in such a hurry to get to, why are we hurtling down these beautiful country roads as if they are I-91, and why is it so difficult to move over when there is a walker or runner on the side of the road? And as a pedestrian, it is your responsibility to stay as far left as possible and walk facing traffic. According to Massachusetts state law the only place pedestrians have the right of way is in crosswalks and sidewalks. It’s both parties' responsibility but, honestly, how many walkers have killed a car?
We live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country and should all slow down and enjoy the view instead of zipping around as fast as we can, unaware of anyone or anything around us. Someone’s life is worth the effort of being a courteous driver. As for me, I’ll stick to the woods; it’s less people-y which is always favorable.
