2 minute read
Old Complaints That Are Still Kind of Relevant
by Madeline Vega
Tree lined streets crowded with buildings, cars, pedestrians, work crews, and delivery trucks make up the route to get to and from school events
Madeline Vega
My mom never wanted to drive me across town. We lived in the far west suburbs of Chicago. It wasn’t like driving from the Holland Tunnel to the Brooklyn Bridge. As my life drained away behind the wheel taking kids to school and track practice and searching for parking spots, I wanted to justify why my deal was so much worse than my mom’s—and that I was not just becoming my mom!
The more time I spent writing a snarky piece in my head (and I say “in my head” because I spent a lot of time in the car—one day I filled up on gas, reset my odometer to zero, and an hour later—driving the whole hour—it told me I had gone 1.7 miles) to describe what it’s like to drive in an urban area, the more petty and unoriginal it seemed. I scouted where I might take pictures to compile an illustration. But numbers are all that really matter here. There are too many people so there are too many stop lights to try to control the flow of traffic and protect pedestrians. There are too many double parked delivery trucks. Too many Ubers making stops. Too many school buses stopping across multiple lanes. Right now in a pandemic it would still take me 25 minutes to get Kal to school from our apartment because red lights still work.
I love drivers who act like I am the worst for driving 25 miles per hour and they have to pass me. And then we sit at the next seven red lights together. It’s all timed out. Relax people. Let the pedestrians cross. Wait to turn left safely. Try not to be such a dick.
So, there are too many people following their own rules with no space to get around them and even less space to park. I randomly walked across the 59th Street Bridge in Feburary and was delighted to capture cars crossing in the walkway on the opposite side of the bridge. It might be Luis’ least favorite thing about city driving. Want to see what it looks like through the windshield at night? Check my IGTV https://tinyurl.com/uh66tpd
Queens-bound lane cars use a lane built for pedestrians
Madeline Vega
“Fuck Cars” jumped out at me—I think whoever decided to use a walkway as an outbound lane for cars had that attitude
Madeline Vega
Manhattan-bound lane used by joggers and bikers going opposite directions
Madeline Vega
One time I parked under a tree for a few days
Madeline Vega
Delivery trucks will unload with no regard for the fact your meter ran out and you have things to do
Madeline Vega
I thought these boots were festive when I noticed them in December
Madeline Vega
Every morning, cars are parked in crosswalks (and “the box”) because that’s all that was left the night before
Madeline Vega
Parking meters are not in effect during alternate side parking, however I purchased time at a meter. Two minutes after my time expired, the cop wrote me a more expensive ticket for violating ASP. The app’s judge did not rule in my favor even with a picture to show a lack of an ASP sign and my meter ticket. Months later I saw a (new?) set of signs...
Madeline Vega
(See ticket picture)
Madeline Vega
New signs seemed to pop up everywhere in February. The stop signs that didn’t also get a stop line were the worst.
Madeline Vega
