Sunday, December 7, 2008

Life vs. the little green man...

...and I am not talking about your friendly neighbourhood leprechaun.

One big thing that I have noticed is that as soon as you step out your front door with plans to go anywhere you are taking your life in your own hands. Some towns are very lucky to have streetlights on certain corners, but many are just left with crosswalks. These are clearly marked, but cars will continue to drive by until a person steps off the sidewalk and in front of their path. When they do stop, they are usually less than a foot away from where you are walking. As soon as you finish passing them, and before you are back on the sidewalk, the cars are driving off once again. It is best to create a human shield, if possible, by using a Hungarian walking at the same time, but if this is not possible, then be extra careful and try to make direct eye contact with the drivers to ensure that they see you are crossing in front of them.

For those who are lucky enough to have stoplights, this is where the little green man comes into play.After going to Prague this has become increasingly evident. The tour guide warned that the streetlights do not last long and so pedestrians must run across to make sure that they don't anger the drivers. Crossing at every intersection, the little green man lasts for under 10 seconds, for a walk that would take nearly 20 seconds at a brisk pace, and then traffic begins once again.

Even if you are lucky enough to have the stoplights you need to jog across the street. I do find this quite amusing especially considering all the women in heels that I see walking down the street. Either they never cross the street or they have perfected the talent of running in heels...

Here is the little green man...

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