I’ve lived in Asheville 20 years; it’s a great place to live. I am witness to Asheville’s growth and popularity from which the number of pedestrians has grown as well. No matter the reason, there are more people on the roads (often with no sidewalk) on foot. There are also more people who do not know or do not obey basic pedestrian rules/laws. I am writing to ask these people to take the time to understand and obey these simple rules.
If you are walking on a street with a sidewalk, walk on the sidewalk. If you are walking/running on a street with no sidewalk, please walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic. Do not walk on the street in the right lane with your back to traffic: It’s disrespectful, dangerous and, technically, against the law. Also, if you are walking with your dog/s, please have them on a leash and please make sure the lead on your leash is not so far out that it takes up the entire lane of traffic. This is just common courtesy.
Finally, if you are walking/running on a pathway in a park or green space, please be aware of others around you and be considerate and courteous. If you and your friend/s or dog are walking side by side, taking up the entire pathway, please get single file when you see someone approaching you from the front or rear. Please take the time to look behind you. More than likely you are not the only ones on the path and the pathway should be shared. No one should have to walk, run or bike outside the pathway.
— Walter Hewitt Thames
Asheville
Very good and useful letter. Let me add that bicyclers need to have either a bell on their bike or routinely offer a verbal “coming on your right/left” when on any paths or trails where there are also pedestrians.
On paved paths you cannot hear them approaching AT ALL and they scare the hell out of a walker (and dog) when zooming past suddenly. Very discourteous and dangerous!
In some countries, the little “bicycle bell” is common practice and even law. I have yet to see it in the United States.
It is appalling how many people in this ‘city’ do NOT know how to CROSS a street WITH the traffic lights !!! WHY are the people so stupid about that? They would be killed doing this in other cities!
It seems that common courtesy and sense have been bred out of the last generation or two.
yes, we suffer now decades of government screwls dumbing down the population to suit the ill-fated ‘progressive’ agenda
Yep, the first thing American commie schools teach is crossing the street against the light. Then the Koran. Then how to abolish the 2nd Amendment.
1 trick pony much?
I was about to make a joke about how the perceived lack of courtesy on paths or sidewalks was the fault of lib’ral progressives. But some humorless anonymous rightwing sockpuppets took the fun out of it…