What is the estimated time of me walking from Point A to Point B? If somebody would ask me, I would say it depends on the sidewalk. I’m a fast-walker myself so I would say maybe under three minutes if there aren’t any blockages in my way.
Nothing’s certain if I arrive on time like I always expected since walking through the sidewalk is like an obstacle course. Every step I take feels like a game of roulette, where I never know which hurdles I’ll have to avoid.
Each corner is a game level where I have to fight the mini-boss before I can progress. The first level: a construction site. This would be easy. Their large tarpaulin of warning is good enough for me to be aware of the falling debris. A piece of cake. I hope the construction workers are doing fine under this scorching heat.
The second level: three slow people walking in front of me. I may be a forgiving person, but I could get impatient. They’re laughing together, hand in hand, and shoulder to shoulder with each other. I waited for the sidewalk to widen just enough so I could move through.
The third level: an overgrown tree. They’re peaceful. Quiet. Just there. Its healthy roots grew over the cemented pavement. I decided to step over the roots respectfully, just in case a supernatural entity lives there. I couldn’t risk being late because I was cursed.
The next level: a manhole with orange cones surrounding it. What a fair warning. Who would not avoid that manhole? It’s on the person if they still fall into it, right?
The fifth level: a shiny car parked on the pavement. Even the bike lane is occupied by another car. There is little space for me to get through. How will the people on a wheelchair navigate this sidewalk? What about those with crutches?
My hopes for a walkable city start to waver as I carefully maneuver the obstacles. I dashed as I saw my destination when my foot landed on a rogue piece of bubblegum, as if saying “Congratulations on surviving the sidewalk chaos!” like a badge of honor.
The real adventure in walkable cities isn’t the walk itself—it’s surviving the obstacles. If only I could fly… would there be any sidewalk traffic there too?
