Beyond
Walking

By Ronda Gates, MS

Ronda Gates, MS, is a pharmacy grad who traded her white coat for a pair of athletic shoes and never looked back. Her health promotion business, LIFESTYLES, provides motivational speaking, program development, and fitness assessment services to support people making a lifestyle change. She has developed health promotion programs for many organizations nationwide.
Visit www.rondagates.com for a complimentary subscription to Ronda’s weekly email newsletter.

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

— Henry David
Thoreau

Rules of the Road

Fabulous weather finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest this summer. The good climate has inspired walkers and cyclists (two of my preferred activities) to take to the streets and sidewalks morning, noon, and night. This rash of self-motorized transportation has triggered a wave of media attention relating the activity to elevated gas prices and a fragile economy, rather than a love of the exercise. Additionally, increased TV and newspaper accounts report violent incidents between motorists and those of us who are road warriors.

In July, Maxine Bernstein, an Oregonian staff writer, used the words “cultural class” to beautifully describe one of these stories. Although it describes a cycling incident, I believe walkers can relate.

It all started when a cyclist blew through a stoplight in full view of a cycling activist (in a car) who caught up with the guy and suggested that disobeying rules of the road was making all cyclists look bad. At the next traffic light, the cyclist got off his bike, walked it toward the car, picked up the bike, and smashed it against the car hood. The driver got out of the car, yelled at the cyclist, and repeatedly suffered bike blows until a passerby knocked the offender to the ground. Others swarmed to the scene armed with camera-equipped cell phones. They onlookers included other cyclists who, seeing the offender and his bicycle on the ground, yelled at the driver of the car for “roughing up the cyclist.” Bernstein wrote that police who quickly arrived described the scene as “hostile to the motorist.”

As it turned out, the cyclist was drunk. He was later “charged with third-degree assault, criminal mischief, driving under the influence of intoxicants and disorderly conduct.”

Other TV and newspaper stories followed, pointing out that some of us who walk and ride the streets disobey the rules of the road. I plead guilty. Believing common sense should prevail, if, while walking or riding, no car is visible, I have crossed the road without ending a conversation or coming to a complete stop. My brother, who owns a cycling shop and teaches bike safety, has often admonished me for not signaling before I turn — despite my belief there are no cars nearby.

I’ve thought about this arrogance that triggers dangerous behavior by those of us who think we can see well enough to ignore traffic laws designed for our safety. On many streets, cyclists have bike lanes and bike boxes, and pedestrians can use marked crosswalks that give them right-of-way over a car. However, too many of us suffer from hubris: that excessive pride that usually leads to the hero’s downfall in classical tragedy. Hero or not, if you ignore the rules of the road, it can result in tragedy. Is saving a few seconds worth the risk of paying the price of injury or encountering our own road rage incident?

Having mulled this to no further brilliant insights, I turned my attention to the Internet. A Google search for various incarnations of “pedestrian injured by car + July” yielded numerous stories that reveal that we West Coast walkers are at great risk when we fail to practice “smart walking.” Many stories reflected the failure, including by parents with children in backpacks and strollers, to obey rules that any licensed automobile driver must learn — including obeying traffic signals and signs.

To limit risks, I remind readers:
• Walk on sidewalks and pathways. As you walk, keep right so others can pass. If you walk fast enough to pass others, call out “on your left” as you approach them.
• If you must walk on a road, always face oncoming traffic.
• Dress, especially in early morning or at dusk, so you can be seen. Avoid dark colors that render walkers (and cyclists) virtually invisible to traffic (I recommend reflective gear.) Leave the jewelry at home.
• Whenever possible, have a walking buddy to share your experience and your news. If you don’t, be sure to carry ID and tell someone your route and when you expect to return. If you are away from home on holiday or business, carry a note of the address where you are staying.
• Walk as you should drive: proactively and defensively — always be on the lookout for potential trouble.
• Leave the iPod at home. This is the most violated safety rule we (and I include myself) ignore. My iPod provides rhythm for my pace. Friends report they listen to podcasts or books on tape to avoid boredom. They argue that without the iPod entertainment they wouldn’t be motivated. Nevertheless, walking with a focus on music or words provided by an instrument interferes with your ability to hear or concentrate. This risk precludes hearing someone coming up behind you. You are simply more vulnerable. If this is a safety rule you violate, weigh the gains and losses. It takes only one mishap to change the direction of your life.

By practicing these precautions and following the rules of the road, your walking (and cycling) experience will bring year-round pleasure and good health.