(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

[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.