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Disagree with the antagonism, though my sample is of course very small. Coming from North Europe, where it's fairly natural to walk distances of a few hundred
by ptaipale 9y ago
Disagree with the antagonism, though my sample is of course very small.
Coming from North Europe, where it's fairly natural to walk distances of a few hundred meters to do an errand, I and colleagues used to walk from a hotel in Rohnert Park to a Wal-mart on the other side of highway 101, whenever visiting the place and needing to do some shopping.
And each time there were people driving by who would stop at us and ask: "Do you guys need help, did your car break down?"
Very friendly people, apparently they thought we had a problem.
- emj 9y agoThat's a different situation, you will also get questioning looks in Sweden when walking in the urban sprawl of upper middle class, but it's worse in the US. The OSM Surveyors Jacket came about in part because of a necessity, so it's really not only a US thing.
- ptaipale 9y agoReally? I have walked in some Swedish upper middle class / sprawl areas, didn't notice any particular questioning looks, not to mention antagonism. Har inte gått i faktisk Solsidan dock. The only area in Scandinavia where I met actual antagonism for walking was a neighbourhood in Århus; I lead a group of 12-year-old football players in a neat dual line through it by foot, and some "youth" started to throw little rocks at the boys. I guess they wanted to signal that it's their territory.
- emj 9y agoThe feeling can absolutely be found here too if you are unlucky. Calling it antagonistic would be hyperbolic of me.
- avs733 9y agoI should clarify that by antagonism I don't mean individual negativity or dislike for... I mean conscious lack of interest at a design level in engaging those populations. The situation you describe, to me, is a manifestation of that cultural antagonism. That situation exists because society is squeezing out people who walk.