Freedom, what is it ......

It was interesting to read recently that Taiwan had received top rankings in terms of political freedom and a couple of other things. All of which I find highly aplaudable, however ... there is always but ...

I have now been living in my home of Taipei now for nigh on 4 years and as those that know me, am not in a rush to leave, and what amazes me is how the the city hampers my freedom to safely walk around. I guess we all view freedom is different ways, but sometimes the freedom to do simple things are the ones that we find the most difficult to do with out. What amazes me is how much freedom is given to road users over of those of the pedestrian (namely me).

I often wonder what goes on in heads of city planners. From leaving my home in the morning to arriving (safely) home at night I gasp at what goes on around me. The struggle to walk along the pavement because of scooters parked erratically along the pavement, not to mention those who see the pavement as a short cut to the congested roads. To the crossing of any road where it is a competition with the road users trying to beat red lights or making quick right turns to get across first.

The use of the running green man at first amused me when I came to Taiwan, now I realise it is a serious piece of safety advice, it is a road crossing, you must run! But then I read that Taipei City government had decided that we pedestrians had too much time to cross the roads and decreased most of the crossing times in favour of the road user! What they needed to do was delay the permitting of right turns until the majority of pedestrians had made it across, but I guess reducing the time makes that little green mans legs go faster and hence ours!

Those days of meandering down wide boulevards and pavements are gone, as you are required to remain vigilant in case of errant pavement driving scooters and day dreaming cyclists (not to mention women armed with leathal umbrellas).

My thoughts on this were all brought together last night when on the bus home, yes I became a road user, and the bus struggled to get down the narrow streets due to illegally parked or waiting cars or people who had chosen to walk along the road (particularly those with wheelchair's) because of the scooters and vendors on the pavement.

Perhaps if I owned a scooter or a car I would would think differently ... but I hope not ... things may change one day, I hope, and we will be given back our walking freedom and space ....