I Walk to Talk

I know that not everybody likes to walk as much as I do. Hell, a neighbor told me the other day that she drives to Rite Aid and we live TWO blocks from the place. I'll admit I like it for the exercise, but it's mainly because you never know who you'll end up talking to when you're on foot.

Walking to the Census training this morning, there was this girl coming toward me with her ear buds in and I didn't even see her glance up at me, but as we came upon each other, she smiled and said rather loudly (I guess because of her music), "Great style!" How random was that compliment? I have to say, though, she made my morning.

Walking home for lunch, I came upon two mounted officers at the corner of Monroe and Marshall. I always get a kick out of seeing horses on cobblestone in Jackson Ward, but something was different this time. One of them was pointing a gun-like device down the street and being the oblivious sort, I had to be told it what it was and that they were targeting speeders.

I couldn't have been happier if they were handing out $20 bills. I've always taken issue with people who speed through city neighborhoods, treating them like thoroughfares and ignoring the fact that people live and play there. I told the cop that I was a neighbor and how pleased I was about what they were doing. He said that they've started a campaign in the 'hood to address the problem. Hallelujah, they're targeting speeders, stop sign-runners and red light-runners in the 'hood for the foreseeable future.

When they mentioned red light running, I asked about that nightmare intersection at Belvidere and Broad and was told that it and the Belvidere and Leigh intersections take the dubious prize for most accidents of all city intersections. I was not in the least surprised having seen people run red lights there with impunity every single day of my life and it irks me no end. Needless to say, that assignment won't go to the mounted unit.

Nor should it. It's enough that they're in J-Ward nabbing speeders and chatting up walking neighbors like me.