Crosswalks
Pedestrians and a few drivers are intimidated by the urban traffic engineers’ fierce dedication to statistics.
“If pedestrian crosswalks are removed, casualties decrease!” Of course that’s true! If pedestrians are terrified by the speed and density of vehicle traffic, they will never try to cross a street no matter how bad their need.
No traffic engineer under age 65 cares about the old and slow so intimidated by traffic that they no longer walk to the markets as they once did. They do without or call for help. Many are by conditioning too proud to ask help.
Engineers’ statistics are absolutely correct; no one refutes them! So by the numbers the old and slow are frightened enough to stay in their shells.
How will the traffic engineers react when they are old and slow? Humanitarians hope the traffic engineers as they age may begin to respect humanity.
Is that too much to hope for?
ELOIS and BILL HOYT
Los Angeles
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