My mind is drifting back to some of those old
neighborhood games we used to play. Games like
"Red Rover" or "Stop and Go." You know. Those
games where someone got to control your
movement forward or backward.
They came to mind Monday while I was heading
to the studio to do my weekly program on ECTV.
You see, to get there, you've got to cross a very
busy street.
Back in "the day" crossing the street was
relatively easy. There were some simple rules.
Basically, you looked both ways. If no cars were
coming, you crossed!
It doesn't work that way anymore. At least not
at the major intersections in most communities.
Take Scranton for instance.
The city has just installed a whole new system
that's suppose to allow pedestrians to press a button
which, in turn, is suppose to give them a fighting
chance to get across the street....alive!
A white silhouettes depicting a person lights up
to signal you can begin your attempt. But, almost
immediately thereafter, a count down begins indicating
how many seconds are left for your to complete your
journey! It's a little frighting. Especially for those
little old ladies trying to "beat the clock!"
There are audio "beeps" as well.
They are probably there to aid the blind. But
they also remind the others that their crossing
time begins to run out the moment it begins!
Ironically, even when the system gives you the
"Go" signal, it does noting to stop traffic turning
into your path for the adjoining street!
You could be watching the countdown and
get clobbered by a bus!
I'm thinking it might just be easier to have
someone standing on the other side shouting
"Red Rover, Red Rover, Try to cross over!"
Hope you still look both ways and that all your
NEWS is good!
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