Sidewalks are for some...

I don't flatter myself that one little entry in one little blog is going to make any difference. But since I've received such positive feedback about this blog, and about speaking my mind...here I go again! Saturday I had to run a few errands in preparation for a swanky fundraiser at the UICA; it's their biggest all year so there is a lot of hype around it and it's always an amazing time. I myself have gone two years in a row! But back to the errands. One was to go to the library and print out another copy of my ticket, since the one I'd just printed got destroyed, in my walker, and I don't have a printer at home. It's been my experience that printer's are not reliable enough to use up more of my tiny apartment's valuable space to keep one around! So I went, and noticed another thing about consideration of the Disabled that doesn't occur to people: blocking the sidewalks. There's a long, sloping ramp to the front door that's a wonderful alternative the many stairs. But as I arrived, I had to drive past a student who was obliviously sitting right in the middle with her ear buds in! I wanted to yell: "you know, it hasn't rained in days. The grass is probably dry, and you can sit off to the side to let people pass." But schooling the student wasn't a high priority for me right then. Just irritating that I had to "off road it" with my walker because she chose to sit in my way! Coming back, I was trying to use a legal crosswalk rather than just take my chances and jay walk, like most pedestrians around here. But there were street people sitting all over the sidewalk right at the corner:( That time I DID speak up; "You're all spread out in front of the only crosswalk; people use this street you know." Then they all snapped to their senses and moved a little bit so I could get past. I guess the best I can hope for is that they give me an inch. I don't have many opportunities to take a veritable mile. I guess I can only take what I'm given...Phew! Depressing thought. Alas, that's how so many of us get by.