I walk the line

I just spent a week in Portland, OR. at my company's corporate headquarters. At the end of long days, I definitely needed to unwind. For me, the best way to clear my head is to go for a nice, long run. I had forgotten how good the pedestrian environment is out there. Aside from the obvious infrastructure things like bicycle lanes and raised pedestrian crossings, the most fascinating thing to me is the drivers. They actually pay attention to bicyclists and pedestrians. I had too many experiences to relate in one post. More than once a vehicle that had pulled into a crosswalk backed up to get out of my way as I approached. Drivers check for traffic, then check again for pedestrians before pulling away from a stop. At my corporate campus, the bike racks were jammed with bicycles. I'm not sure how that culture comes about. Questioning the locals didn't reveal much. They have a "that's the way it's always been" attitude. The feeling is "how could you not keep an eye out for pedestrians?" "If you don't, you might hit someone and that would be awful. " Awful indeed. Maybe it starts with the next generation. When you're teaching your teenager to drive, teach them what you should have been taught. Look both ways, then look again for bicycles, walkers, strollers, and especially jogging city council candidates!