New Yorker Proposes Code Of Conduct For Pedestrians In The Big Apple
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- One New Yorker, stuck behind slow-moving tourists and clipped by others that bob and weave their way across Manhattan, has come up with a tongue-in-cheek "Pedestrians' Code of Conduct."
"There's somebody walking slowly, that's bad enough, but they cut you off every time you go around them," said real estate executive Robert Selsam, who walks to work and is only sort of kidding with his pretend rules and fake fines.
Selsam's rules cover every kind of annoying pedestrian.
In his world, zig-zagging gets you a $50 fine. Walking abreast merits a $100 fine per person. Standing too long in the crosswalk would set you back $75. Violating the "New Yorker Only" lane would be a $100 offense. Finally, bumping into someone would be a $50 fine.
"It be mad crowded; you can't breathe," pedestrian Daniella Brown told CBS 2's Dave Carlin.
"People in groups taking up the entire sidewalk," complained Amy Russell of Midtown.
Officials at the Department of Transportation said the city's sidewalks are more crowded this year than at any time in the past five years. Since the creation of the Pedestrian Volume Index in 2007, sidewalks have seen an increase in pedestrian traffic of 13 percent.
"It's not quite a crusade but I would love to see some directional lanes where you could walk in peace and get where you're going," Selsam said.
In his dreams, Selsam said he wants at least gets a New Yorkers-only lane. In reality, he knows these pedestrian headaches are here to stay. Still, he hopes the joke proposal raises awareness about sidewalk etiquette.
Should pedestrians in New York adhere to a code of conduct? Sound off in our comments section below…
