(no subject)

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

I've been living here for about a year and 2 months, and boy, is it great.

But could someone explain to me why no one can drive in/through Davis Square without

a) slamming on their brakes for no apparent reason

b) putting their flashers on in front of starbucks so they can get their caffeine fix

c) coming to a screeching halt in case someone 20 feet away was close to beginning to think about maybe stepping onto a crosswalk

I'm also confused why people fight like banshees for a meter spot when there are usually a plethora of parking spots on highland avenue. Oh noes, a 2 block trek!

There are also a lot of old people, which is fine -- I grew up in a geriatric paradise in pennsylvania, but often I seem to get nasty looks while walking down the street. Not to mention, I've caught more than one of my elderly neighbors spying on me while I walk/root to/around my car. I can't tell if they're fascinated or disgusted, but you'd really think living around Davis would have acclimated folks to less-than-mainstream dress, hair, and attitudes.

Bleh. It's just one of those days.

Comments

I am hyper and will address these out of order

[prog.livejournal.com]

a) & c): Sometimes people do seem to have "I must avoid the invisible elf in the road" issues, but more often they are probably stopping for reasons that you didn't happen to see at the time. Davis is a very pedestrian/bicyclist-crowded area and I should think that drivers are wise to err on the side of caution and drive extra-defensively for the square-embracing lengths of Elm Street or Highland Ave.

b) & parking-spot vultures: Yeah, they suck.

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

a) Most people driving actually IN the square are probably going to a specific store/location, and they are slamming on their brakes because they are lost, or because they are looking for parking.

b) They put their flashers on anywhere and double-park. Highly annoying.

c) As someone who does not have a car and walks, I am happy for this behavior.

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

c) these people are probably also familiar with driving around Allston, where students will, without warning, dart out in front of cars, where there are no crosswalks, about 2 seconds before the car is about to pass them. It's probably a knee-jerk reaction. Or foot-stomp, rather.

[xoynotsmilexo.livejournal.com]

c) tufts students who often inhabit davis square are unskilled at crossing the street and will often do so at the last second in front of a fast moving vehicle.

[sunbeam45.livejournal.com]

As a Tufts kid, I have to reply here. I admit, there are a lot of stupid pedestrians. However, I walk everywhere all day long between my apartment, campus, Davis, and other places around Somerville, and I can't tell you how long I wait and wait at the edge of the sidewalk to enter a crosswalk and cross the road. People treat College Ave. close to campus like a freeway. Right before Christmas break I was in the middle of the crosswalk and had an SUV charge through it at about 40 mph less than five feet from my body. Broad daylight, bright clothing, hands waving and clear look of panic on my face. And it was not a student driving this vehicle. They just figured they were giving me enough space, I guess. Davis is another story, and it's not good either. As the poster noted, cars stop and accelerate unpredictably (often through crosswalks) and double park (sometimes in cross walks, I've seen it). I'm not defending people that make stupid choices and hurl themselves out in front of cars, but I think both sides can do better. As everyone's heard, our senior Bory's death in traffic this year around Thanksgiving has made everyone a lot more sensitive to the issue and hopefully, a little more careful crossing the street.

[xoynotsmilexo.livejournal.com]

very true, I dont drive either and there have been many near deaths. But i'm also a tufts student, and there does seem to be a large number of us who arent so apt at crossing the street. They always seem to be waiting at red lights and trying to cross at green. A bus almost hit a kid a few weeks ago.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

You think this is fun, welcome to the world of the snow emergency. See the latest post and I highly recommend grabbing a legal spot asap.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Curious as to where in Davis you're getting the unpleasant looks from old folks. I see very few seniors in the neighborhood, save for the residents at the senior home on College Ave. I can't offer any suggestions as to why they're looking at you strangely... might be that they've lived here for so long and have seen so many generations come and go, but these last 15 years have been the first time the neighborhood has gone bohemian.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I wonder if this is something about the original poster. When I smile at the old folks around here, they smile back, and I've had many pleasant conversations with them. They mostly assume I'm a Tufts student (haha), so clearly it's not just a general bad attitude from them about young people.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Mostly along highland avenue, the area around the hospital.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

To pick a nit here, that's not Davis Square.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

d.) the old people were here before you. you've moved into their neighborhood. the increasing popularity of davis square with young people who have higher incomes have priced many older people out of their neighborhood. there's no real excuse for them to be rude to you, but i can understand them looking on you with a bit of disdain.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

I guess people are ignorant, young and old. It's depressing for me to see the elderly remain so judgmental of others without knowing their situation, despite having accrued so much 'wisdom'.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

And I'm just saying that it can be very difficult to be an older person living in a neighborhood that used to be very, well, neighborhoody/townie that has, in the past decade, rapidly been almost totally gentrified.

I lived in Davis for over five years. I was part of the gentrifying process so I take some responsibility too but I feel, at the very least, we could be aware of the impact that we are having and have a little more respect/patiece for people who feel that they've "lost" their neighborhood.

[jadelennox]

Thanks for pointing this out.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not sure how I've shown anything but respect and patience -- just venting on the community. :P A lack of respect or patience would be... I dunno, egging houses or hissing at people when I passed them by? :P

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I think assuming they have the same point of view as you (i.e. that you are a harmless non-impact on the neighborhood) is the lacking patience part. Just saying it might take them a while to "come around" to the fact their neighbors are all now mostly 1/3 their age.

[reed-davis.livejournal.com]

If you help one of those seniors shovel their steps off tomorrow I bet you will see a change in attitude!

[jadelennox]

Hear, hear. Yay for neighborliness.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

a,c) Maybe they're not from around here. In L.A. people will stop just because a pedestrian gazes shyly into the street. Ick.

b) If there was ever a time i wish they would hand out parking tickets...
( as opposed to the snow "emergency" i'm just hearing about, when they're forecasting a whopping 1 inch of snow tomorrow )

c+) Maybe the elderly people forgot their glasses or something.

If its the rent issue, im pretty sure theyre landlords and not renters. I don't think they mind the high rents too much.

If it's someone who's got the fixed-income-but-big-property-tax issue, they could always sell their place high and buy a condo in central Florida...

But all kidding aside, i like nosy, retired neighbors who help keep an eye on the street.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

If it's someone who's got the fixed-income-but-big-property-tax issue, they could always sell their place high and buy a condo in central Florida...

It's nice that you have a plan for them. Maybe their plan was to live in and enjoy their house. Maybe they *are* renting on a fixed income. Not everyone, by virtue of old age, owns a home.

[hissilliness.livejournal.com]

a,c) Maybe they're not from around here. In L.A. people will stop just because a pedestrian gazes shyly into the street. Ick.

Damn Los Angeles is much too pedestrian-friendly! Why doesn't anyone drive places there?

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

C) I think it may be because there are too many idiots who think crosswalk=free pass to do whatever they want (never mind what the pedestrian control light says).

peds need to learn that the lights are there for their safety, not merely "I'll ignore them when I want to".

deal with that a few too many times, drivers develop crosswalk anxiety/ptsd . . .

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

I'm a hypocrite in that sense, because I always dart across the street when an opportunity arises. However, when driving, I also encourage pedestrians to cut across the road -- just do it with clear intent and don't turn back when you're in the middle of the lane.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

The problem for peds is, if they get hit while crossing against a do not walk light, or cross in the middle of the road where there is no crosswalk, is they don't have much of a leg to stand on in court.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Pun intended?

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Sometimes.

[simply-juniper.livejournal.com]

Your sensed opportunity could be a driver's panic that they might hit you. I encourage all to be aware and cautious.