Walk This Way

I like to walk. Always have. There's nothing I hate more than having to drive places. Aside from a couple of junkers I had in high school, I didn't even really own a car until I was 30 (the old joke being that no one in New York City has a car because there's too much traffic), and even when I lived in L.A. (Torrance, actually), it was surprisingly pedestrian-friendly (aside from the time the carload of nuns ran a red left-turn arrow and almost ran me over--how I wish I were making that up!) and I did walk most places I needed to go.

Unfortunately, living out here in the 'burbs of Upstate New York means that walking is next to impossible. And it's not even that things are especially distant (my range is about 2.5-3.0 miles); it's that there are no sidewalks, crosswalks, walk/don't walk signs, or anything that would make surburban walking even remotely convenient. Downtown would be doable on foot--if it were physically possible to get from Point A to Point B without caroming off someone's hood and ending up in a bloody heap in Point C. Because, let's face it, people drive like idiots. (For proof, just wait at the bus stop in downtown Saratoga and watch the carnage.)

Lots of folks are in the same boat--and here is an interesting site called WalkScore that rates the walkability to a variety of nearby attractions or businesses from a given address. As I would expect, my address yielded a 31 out of 100. There are some interesting things from the list of nearby attractions. The first is that Reel Meals (a dinner-and-a-movie place that was pretty unsatisfactory for either) is out of business, and I've never heard of Excellent Adventure bookstore. And why Espey Manufacturing is listed under "Library" is beyond me.

On a related note, I was very happy that the CDTA (Capital District Transportation Authority) expanded its bus service to downtown Saratoga from near where I live. The nearest bus stop, as it turns out, is a scant 0.8 miles from my house, the fare is $1, and it runs every hour. I have taken it several times (the service started in early July) and it's a great way to get into Saratoga without having to drive around forever looking for non-existent parking--especially now that the racetrack is open, traffic is insanity, and the last vestiges of civilization have disappeared from this town. It also means I can save on gas, and not have to order Diet Pepsi in a bar--added bonuses.

Waiting at the bus stop is interesting, though; people driving by--literally to a man or woman (aside from those on cellphones who are oblivious to anything anyway)--look at me as if I had had Rosey Grier and Ray Milland heads grafted on. Is the idea of public transort so foreign to hardcore suburbanites? All I can say is, "Tough." And, heck, I'd rather spend money on beer than gas any day.