To keep from getting arrested!
Have you read about the woman in Whitehouse, TX, who was arrested (tackled and handcuffed) for walking on the wrong side of the road.
So basically, she is walking on the wrong side of the road. A cop pulls up on a motorcycle and starts asking her questions, such as “are you from around here?” She thinks he’s flirting and she’s uncomfortable. (I don’t think he asked her what her sign was or if she walked there often.) She continues to walk. He continues to follow her on his police cycle. Maybe he’s not a cop. She runs. He tackles. Cuffs her.
Sound like a case of over-zealous police brutality?
Sounds like a case of someone who should have been smart enough to know which side of the road to walk on!
I’m sorry, folks, but I gotta side with the cops on this one. This is a pet peeve of mine, as a runner. You can argue whether his “arrest” of her was necessary or extreme, but the bottom line here is she was breaking the law, and it’s NOT SAFE.
I was taught in kindergarten that you walk and run AGAINST traffic if there is no sidewalk available. You bicycle WITH traffic and not on sidewalks. We also learned about stop, drop and roll if you catch fire while walking against traffic, and that eating crayons or paste is not good for you, especially if you are on fire and on the wrong side of the street.
If you are running, jogging, or just walking Fido, and you are on the right side of the street, then you cannot see the cars coming behind you. You have no idea if they see you and if they are going to hit you. You might get clipped by a mirror.
If you are walking on the left side of the street, you can see the on-coming traffic. You can make eye contact with them. You can tell if they see you or if they are busy texting. If they don’t see you, you can get out of the way.
I am amazed by the number of adults who walk or run on the wrong side of the street. Maybe they’re from England. It makes me want to tackle them and handcuff them. (Not because they’re English, but because they’re too stupid to know which side of the street to be walking on!) Well, if I’m in a bad mood, I’ll at least yell at them to get over on the other “proper” side. I usually get a confused look in return. Maybe they are immigrants. But I get that a lot. And I digress.
In Pennsylvania, the pedestrian law is the same as Whitehouse, TX:
However, even if there is a shoulder to walk on, safety considerations generally would favor walking/running against traffic. Vehicles frequently drift off the side of the road accidentally if the driver isn’t paying attention. There may be instances when traffic patterns, or the presence of structures like bridge abutments, retaining walls or the presence of road construction dictates walking with traffic as being safer, but for the most part, you should run against traffic.
Let’s be safe out there.
theeyelife 