On Sat, 14 May 2005 16:15:55 -0700, Scott en Aztl‡n
Wow, Good post judging by the number of replies so far. Stirred up the old hornet's nest. Now for my comments.
When I was much younger I once bought a pad of fake parking tickets. They thanked the offender for being thoughtless and taking up two parking spaces and hoped that the fleas of 1000 camels would infest their armpits. I can still not figure out why folks park right in the middle of two spots or park in ways that fail to maximize the number of spots on a block.
Your pictures for the most part are places where there appear to be many available spots so the impact is lessened. Sort of hard to complain about lousy parking when it makes no difference. Still, I share your outrage at thoughtless parking. Worse if it is not thoughtless.
I sometimes bike on the sidewalk, and this is in Manhattan where it is definitely illegal. But sometimes the streets are so congested that it is simply unsafe to bike on it. Or, more likely, it is just too crowded for me to be able to ease by cars and trucks and I would have to wait as long as they do to get by. You know that it is FUd when there are three lanes of traffic and a bike can't squeeze by nohow.
So up on the curb I go. That said, I go very slowly and do not disturb pedestrians. Except for the few folks with broomsticks up their buttes who unpleasant woman that it is illegal to bike on sidewalks. Note that I have caused them no problem. I haven't whizzed by or startled them or anything. Probably very lawabiding themselves and never cross against a light.
I see that your shots are either of Florida or some place like that. Sure looks like Florida to me. Anyway, folks ride on the sidewalk there because no one walks on the sidewalk. Drive here, drive there, no walk. And, if it is Florida, it is dangerous to bike on the streets because, well, older folks drive on the streets. And the impatient ones who are trying to get past the older folks.
Final comment. I'm surprised that you don't have pictures involving the stupid things that folks distracted by their cell phones do. Like stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.
