Saturday, November 21, 2009

WAKEUP CALL --And Weekword

I don’t often carry my camera on morning walks. I get so caught up in taking pictures that I end up late for work. So I didn’t have my camera along that morning.  But I doubt I would have photographed what happened after a car left these skid marks through the crosswalk.

It is November so there is no sunrise until almost 8 a.m. Since there are no street lights around the pond I don’t like to walk there in the dark.

Instead I usually go by the park

then past the laundromat and the nearby construction for a large store.

Then I go through the university campus which is well lit and occupied with students on their way to their 7 a.m. classes.

I take the stairs up to the library
where this guy almost never fails to freak me out…

until I remember he is just the kid with the stack of books by the front door.

There is construction on campus as well. They are doubling the size of the student center.

which must make it difficult

for these two to study.

As usual, last Wednesday, I took the steps down by the fine arts center and was returning home as the sky was taking on a pink light.

During the cold nights around here weather usually leaves a heavy layer of frost on vehicle windows. This guy was smart and was warming up his car so the defroster would clear the ice.


Anyway, I was walking down the sidewalk on the edge of campus when I heard the screech of tires followed by a scream. I turned and saw a young woman down in a crosswalk and two guys bailing out of their stopped car. A crowd quickly gathered with cell phones at the ready. I was about a block away so I stepped to the edge of the street and motioned to approaching motorists to slow down and directed the ambulance and emergency response unit when they arrived minutes later.

I was so sorry the young woman was hurt and relieved to learn her injuries were not life threatening.  The paper reported she was treated and released. The driver was cited for having an obstructed windshield and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

The event was a reminder to me that crossing streets in this town is like playing Reality Frogger, especially around the university. The students from warmer climates have quite a learning curve when it comes to driving in ice and snow. People hurrying to class results in distracted pedestrians and inattentive drivers. Even wearing light clothing and reflective gear is not enough to get one safely across the street when drivers don’t clear the frost from their windows. Just because a person has the right of way doesn’t guarantee a vehicle will stop.
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My blog has been selected to host Weekword.  The word is FEAST.  If you want to participate mention it in your comment on this or my Tuesday posting.  Then on Friday use the word as the subject for your post and link it to my blog where all participants will be listed.  Cheers, and look both ways before crossing those streets!

12 comments:

  1. Good Lord... that's terrible. Talk about opposite issues weather-wise at the moment! You are a good girl walking like that... I should. But I let little things like snakes put me off...
    :-)
    BB

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  2. Wow, that must have got your adrenaline pumping. How horrible to see a person get hit by a car. That makes me start shaking just thinking about it.

    Sounds like you also get a nice variety of sights in during your walks, not including the accident that is. My walks are so different, what day I shall post a pictorial of what I see while I go for the morning walks with the dog.

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  3. No ice here...just rain and grey sky...
    I´m in for weekword ;)

    Take care out there

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  4. See, I would never have contemplated this as something to be concerned about - and thank goodness it isn't where I live, because we have drongos enough behind the wheel!!

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  5. Oh- how often I see some of the things in your pictures. Great post.

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  6. I loved following your walk, but sorry to read of the collision - steamed up windows can be nearly as treacherous as ice at this time of year.

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  7. Loved the walk- your timing is damned lucky!Particularly challenging when every one wears black- the night is black and the streets are black.
    I would like to "FEAST" please.Though the F may change to a B...

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  8. Everyday another adventure. Great post. It was a very good reminder, not only to keep your wits about you while walking, but also, never to be so hurried that you don't clean the windshield or knock the snow off the top of the car.

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  9. Goodness! You are so wise to not walk where it is dark, or almost dark. That's the worst time to be out...you think you can see, but the drivers can't see you.

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

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  10. I enjoyed taking that morning walk with you. 7am classes are early! Too early! ;p I laughed when I saw the dark shadow and then saw what it really is...I would be freaked out by it, too. I'm sorry to hear about the girl being hit by the car but I'm glad everyone was relatively okay in the end.

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