Crossing the Streets

June 30, 2010

“You should look the other way next time,” a man said to me today on Washington Street as my foot was about to step off the curb. A car was turning right onto the road, from behind me. That could have been close, but it wasn’t the first time I’ve had the same problem in these two weeks.

I’m programmed to look both ways when crossing the street, but my brain also tells me that the cars should be in certain lanes and driving certain directions. My brain doesn’t like this opposite world we’re in. I don’t know the history of why driving rules of Europe are incompatible with what America does. Maybe our country was just trying to do its own thing, or maybe there is a legitimate reason.

Whatever the case, I’m glad that I don’t have to drive here. As much as I would love to be able to rent a car (a few years too young unfortunately) and explore the country, you would need some serious lessons and practicing before taking off on the interstates, roundabouts, and in-town traffic (which Cork seems to have a lot of right when you’re on the bus trying to get somewhere at a certain time). You wouldn’t want to misread the speed limit or the route signs incorrectly, and you definitely wouldn’t want to end up going the opposite direction or taking wrong turns!