An endangered species
It was no great surprise to anyone who walks much in this town that walking is indeed a dangerous activity and that pedestrians are an endangered species ("Study: Pedetrians at risk," Nov. 16).
My wife and I live just off Stine Road near Ming Avenue. We can walk to the post office, bank, drug store, grocery store and hardware store from our home. Not only is it good exercise, but is good for the environment and saves our automobiles for longer sojourns into the community and countryside. Notice, I did not say it was good for our health. It may actually be a danger to our health.
When I was a kid learning to drive, I was taught to stop for pedestrians. When did this law change? Very few people bother to stop anymore. Case in point: The other day I was crossing Stine Road in a crosswalk. A truck was more than a quarter mile north when I entered the crosswalk. By the time I was halfway across the truck was still approaching at a high rate of speed. I could see that the driver was not going to stop, so I did. He blew on through the crosswalk in front of me without even slowing down.
This was not an isolated event. It happens almost every time I try to cross a street. I think we should work on having pedestrians placed on the endangered species list.
DANIEL M. MARBLE
Bakersfield
