04.11.2011

I must admit, these words are not necessarily mine.  My post today is an email I received this morning.  Obviously, my very good friend had a little bit of traffic trouble in the DC-metro area and needed to vent.  However, this DC-metro traffic trouble was surprisingly nothing to do with vehicles, but with pedestrians.  If you have ever walked/ran/jogged/spent a day with me in a city, you will completely understand the frustrations she must have felt....Here goes:


In this month's edition of the "Scientific and Observational Journal of Paige's Car," the results of a study on "The phenomenon of pedestrian death wish" was published. The author, P, Romer, has established this phenomena, previously thought of as very rare, now qualifies as a legitimate syndrome, which the author has chosen to call the "Feibel Syndrome" after her first subject. The key features of the syndrome seem only to be present in patients when they are walking, such as pedestrians. The celestial of symptoms, 4 of which must be present for a diagnosis, has been established as:
  -feelings of immortality
 -belief that all motor-vehiclists will see them
 - belief that all motor-vehiclists will stop for patient as they cross the street
 - jay-walking
 - crossing intersections when a do not walk sign is on
 - failing to look both ways when crossing a street
 - being narrowly missed by cars
and more may surface in future studies.

The syndrome has recently come under a lot of attention because of the increasing amounts of traffic in the DC-metro area. It seems as more people begin to take public transportation, and/or have to park farther away from their destination, the rates of traffic congestion due to individuals diagnosis with this, the Feilbel syndrome has increased. As one motorist put it, "these people just cross the street whenever and wherever they feel like it. In fact, I routinely have run-ins with these people at the intersection of Wisconsin and that street Panera is on [Willard Ave.] in Friendship Heights. The traffic heading towards Tenleytown gets a green arrow, the arrow is short enough as it is but then people just walk out into the street. Now you'd be lucky to get one car through and the F***ing DO NOT WALK sign is on the whole time!"

 Unfortunately, the study has not found any treatments for the syndrome, but as the number of pedestrians increases it is only a matter of time before an accident occurs and drastic measures will have to be taken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



What is great about this little oddity I have is that, not only does it make an impact on the people back home who know me, but it has assisted me in my life here.  If you are not ready to play real-life frogger, then you will never be able to cross the street here.

k bye.