Walk on By

When Kendall brought up the suggestion to do a blog on pedestrians, I knew I had to write about it.

There are many categories of pedestrians, but people never really take the time to think about it. There’s the “I’m in a hurry” pedestrian—the man or woman on a cell phone rushing to catch the bus or a taxi cab. The “I have my hands full” pedestrian has about four kids and can’t seem to keep them under control. It is a struggle to battle the strollers and the rush of people coming toward them. Then you see the “stop and go” pedestrian. You know who they are. Always stopping to admire every little thing that they see on the street and block the walkway to admire the dress in the window.

I am the “stop and take in my surroundings,” kind of pedestrian which has caused me to almost get hit by some cars. Being in this category in a college town is not such a great idea. I tend to look at the busy streets filled with college students trying to run to class, the families eating ice cream by the fountain, and the men and women who have no home asking for money to find some place to go.

Every day while living in Madison, I passed a man who sat on the same bench and watched people walk by. He had a walkie talkie, glasses, and a face that looked old and full of years that were hard on him. He mumbled to everyone that passed by, but unfortunately, no one understood a word he said. The students called him “Scanner Dan.” Not just because of the walkie talkie he carried, but the way his eyes darted on any female that walked right by him.

He always gave me the once over and mumbled whenever I walked out of his line of vision. Dan was mysterious and creepy, but he intrigued me. I watched him as he watched others and I saw a lost soul. There are a lot of homeless people in Madison who stand in all weather situations to collect change. I’ve seen men and women sleeping in church corridors in -30 degrees Fahrenheit because they have no money for shelter. Being a stand-still pedestrian in a world that is continuously moving at a fast pace is not such an easy task.

Anyway, back to Dan. Dan sits on the bench next to the Einstein Bagels and he sits there for hours. Most times, one can find him inside the bagel shop, resting his weary eyes and still watching people as they pass by. He doesn’t look envious of them as the girls flash their expensive backpacks or the boys sport their “I’m too cool for you” shades. He sits there, content on his stool, watching luxury pass him by. Dan may scare people with his looks, but he seems like a really nice man.

As a pedestrian, you tend to move so fast that you often miss the beauty in the world around you. I never got a chance to talk to Dan, but there are Facebook groups about him and encounters that people have had with him. People in Madison have even dressed up like him for Halloween. Life passes you by quickly. So take in every moment and observe your surroundings.

I should be taking lessons from Dan. He has met so many pedestrians and has shared so many stories with them because, like his belly, his life is full of excitement and curiosity.

This is a picture of Dan doing what he does best--sitting on his infamous stool waiting for the next pedestrian to walk through the door of that bagel shop and enlighten him with a story about their day.

There are many categories of pedestrians…which one are you?

-Lissy