Making Peace with Drivers - the commute experience

I have enjoyed walking to work for nearly one month now. I love the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of walking to work. Generally, it puts me in a really good mood.

I have only one issue (today, that is). Have you ever tried to communicate with someone in a vehicle while you're walking? Try it some day. It is nearly impossible to see into a vehicle window when someone is flying by you. One exception - when someone is stopped and has their window open. Drivers are usually in such a hurry that they forget basic things like stopping at crosswalks, watching for pedestrians, etc. You may say that because you're a driver, you have another version of the story. Yes, I get it. I too am a driver (and a damn good one at that). I am now, however, a ped-driver - I do both. So, I think I am uniquely qualified to say STOP AT THE CROSSWALKS YOU IDIOTS. I do understand that sometimes you don't see people, the lights aren't working, and various other excuses that I myself have been known to utter a time or two. But when for nearly one month everyone (with the exception of one cyclist) drives through the crosswalk that you cross twice daily, it becomes a pain in the ass.

Yesterday as I headed out the door, I could feel something different in the air. As I walked I noticed, yes, it was the actual feel of "peace" in commuter travel. I had one man even apologize through his open window for driving up a little too far and blocking about 10% of the walking lane. Wow. I told him it was fine and I was ok as long as he didn't hit me. He laughed like it was the most hilarious thing he'd ever heard (no accounting for sense of humour, I suppose). Drivers were courteously letting other drivers merge, there was actual signalling happening. It was a miracle. My test was coming up on how good the day actually was, though. THE CROSSWALK. As I approached, I could feel myself tensing up. The anticipation of the event was building. I stopped at the crosswalk. One car passed. Two cars passed. The third car stopped and let me cross. I gave a quick wave and smile to the woman that I could barely see in the windshield and was off. For one brief, shining moment, all the world was right.

Then again, don't get me started on the walk home. I was just about hit by a car turning left as I walked through a just changed "don't walk" sign. Don't really know whose fault it was but as a ped-driver, I'm sure it wasn't me.