I personally believe every motor vehicle driver should spend at least a year as a pedestrian in a pedestrian city.  That way, that jerk guy would've stopped for me in front of Kohl's the other day. 

I went to college in Hoboken, NJ, which is the epitome of a pedestrian city.  It's tiny, its streets are narrow, and everything is within walking distance.  Anything that's not within walking distance is a convenient train ride away.  It's actually inconvenient to own a car in this city, what with the obscure parking regulations, the parking fees, and the fact that you have to walk several blocks to find a parking spot, which completely negates the benefit of having a car in the first place. 

While living in this city, I existed solely as a pedestrian.  I walked everywhere, all the time.  To get food, to buy groceries, to get to the train station, to get out of my closet-sized dorm room.  And unfortunately, the weather didn't stay nice all the time, so I walked in the cold, rain, and snow.  The interesting thing about Hoboken is that it's on the Hudson River, which I'm convinced has something to do with the fact that it always feels about 20 degrees colder than it actually is.  Couple that with stepping in some puddles, breaking your seventh umbrella because the wind turned it inside out, and sitting through a three-hour lecture about management, and you've got yourself an angry pedestrian.  Crossing the street was almost like a game of chicken.  "You wanna do this, lady?  I guarantee you I'll cause more damage do your car than you'll cause to my body!"  If somebody didn't stop, I'd yell after them, "No, no, you go ahead.  It must be hard, sitting in your warm, dry car, using your leg to push a pedal to either speed you up or slow you down.  How dare I get in your way." 

Based on my experience, I understand what it's like to be a pedestrian.  When I'm driving, I'll stop for people because I know how they feel.  Especially when it's cold or wet outside.  I understand who would win a battle between a vehicle and a pedestrian, but I still think pedestrians should have the upper hand. #travel