Saturday, April 07, 2012

Walking is political, as are cigar cutters.

I ran into John Gonder yesterday morning, and he remarked that in the context of an auto-centric New Albany, walking had become a revolutionary act. Bicycling fits that description, too. It needs to change, but the impetus must come from the city's neighborhoods. There must be neighborhood self-determination in the sense of us deciding how we wish our streets to be used: For people, or for cars. Think of it as Occupy Spring Street.

It reminded me of a entering the City County Building a month or so ago, and being told by the sheriff's deputy that I couldn't take my guillotine cigar cutter inside; evidently, it has been classified as a deadly weapon, one conceivably able to slice off the tip of one's middle finger when held aloft to protest stupid rules.

I asked him what could be done with it while I was inside. He told me to put it in my car. When I said my car was at home, and I'd walked down, his eyes went blank and he looked at me as though I'd sprouted antennae. It simply did not compute. Eventually he mumbled that he didn't know, but he was sure I couldn't bring the cutter inside. I hid it behind the trash can outside, roughly ten feet away from where the two deputies stood, and by the time I came back, it was gone.

Will Self: Walking is political (Guardian)

A century ago, 90% of Londoners' journeys under six miles were made on foot. Now we are alienated from the physical reality of our cities.

6 comments:

w&la said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
bayernfan said...

I do get some strange looks, especially when it's raining, when I'm walking to and from work. It's only about 10 blocks, but people sure act strange about it.

Even more revolutionary would be convincing NA drivers to heed crosswalks. I nearly got hit the other day by a guy who rolled through a stop sign and then the crosswalk. He was in a convertible with the top down. I pointed out to him that it was a crosswalk and he flipped me off. Hopefully soon we'll be a bike/walk friendly town.

jon faith said...

Umm, why not walk to Bank Street and pitch the cutter? 7-8 minutes at the most?

It is tricky when every slight or rude response is viewed as hegemonic or reactionary. Likewise taking a walk or reading a book isn't really a revolutionary act, is it?

(blushing as I comented on the lower post)

The New Albanian said...

The meeting was about to start, and I had about two minutes to make a choice.

jon faith said...

Isn't this REALLY about Time Managment?

Jeff Gillenwater said...

Was happy to see lots of street car and mass transit agitprop in Cincinnati a couple days ago. Maybe someday the Louisville metro will be that conservative and backward.