Rant: People in Syracuse Walking IN the Street

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed something that’s made driving in Syracuse a little more challenging — or at least interesting.  Pedestrians who feel they’d rather risk death by walking in the street, rather than get their feet cold by walking on snowy sidewalks.

At first, I was on the fence about this.  Sure, I get it.  Nobody wants to walk through the snow.  I can recall quite a few times where I’ve had to traverse walkways covered in several inches of snow.  (Anyone remember my lazy former neighbors who never pitched in to clear our shared walkway?)  It’s not pleasant, especially when you aren’t sporting the proper footwear for walking through the snow.  So, the first few times I saw people walking in the streets of Syracuse, even if it caused me to slam on my brakes or swerve suddenly, I tried to sympathize.

But after mulling this some more, I’ve gotta say I’m sick of it.  Not only do they continue to walk in the streets (it’s been several days since we’ve had more than a few flurries), but I’ve seen people walking two and three abreast — to the point you can’t pass them without crossing into the other lane.

Sympathy over.  Get. Out. Of. The. Street. It’s SYRACUSE, frequent recipient of the Golden Snowball Award (and we’re on track to win again this season).  It’s no surprise that it snows here.  Happens every year and goes for anywhere from 3-6 months.  If you do a lot of walking around town, wear a pair of good boots.   It’s just that simple.

Yes, just as much blame should be placed on homeowners and landlords who are lax in shoveling their sidewalks.  And without any laws that punish non-shovelers, it’s tough for the city to crack down on the problem.  Even if everyone did a good job with shoveling, you can’t expect people to be standing by 24/7 to shovel their sidewalk every time another inch of snow falls.   But I’ve seen just as many people in the street in places where the sidewalks are shoveled, so I’m beginning to think it’s just a matter of either arrogance or ignorance among the pedestrians.

Bottom line: you might get your feet a little cold, and if they get wet, that only makes matters worse.  But it’s a lot better than putting yourself at risk of being hit by a car.  If you really hate walking in the snow, call a cab or take the bus.