Riding the curb…

Yesterday, probably not the first time nor the last time this will occur, as I arrived at a T-section to turn right at a traffic light there was a non-driver adult male standing on the curb, stomping the ground with a tall umbrella, at the mouth of the corner. His foot was almost hanging over the curb. He stood there, as all the cars passed and turned from this narrow turn to the main road, did not see it necessary to move back a few inches so that he did not place both himself and the drivers passing by in both lanes in danger.

What is my definition of a non-driver? A person or a pedestrian who does not drive at all (0%) or does not drive most of the time (~85%) or even a driver who does not walk most of the time (~15%).

Sure, standing on the corner to cross the road is the obvious thing to do; you want to get to the other side, right? Because why does the chicken want to cross the road …to get to the other side.

Nevertheless, should a chicken stand on the edge of a curb with vehicles passing by so that beyond regular dirty water can splash on its nicely cleaned feathers or a vehicle could almost clip its wings?

Have you ever seen a squirrel sitting on the side of the road waiting, for something or something to happen, then darts across the road just missed or not by a car or a truck or they run the other way? I have seen many of those ‘not’ make it across (‘road kill’). As a driver, we cannot read the mind of a non-driver, as we cannot the mind of a squirrel.

Really, why do non-drivers find it necessary to stand on the very edge of the curb/sidewalk, when they are not able to cross or are just waiting on transportation? Are they like a squirrel taking a chance that the driver will not hit them?

FYI, Non-drivers tip of the day

Did you know that there needs to be a safe distance between a car ahead and a car behind so that the car behind can move around the car ahead in case of an emergency? There is no room to move in case of emergency if non-drivers are hanging on the edge of the curb.

Take away: Let us plant the seed in the minds of our youth from very early. Teach little ones not to stand at the end of the curb because it is dangerous for all parties, drivers and non-drivers involved.