When you should run not walk...

People can be into power games, it's really funny to see it in action. There is something about our egos and the need to assert it. One example of ego mentioned in Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic was that people take more time to start backing out of parking spaces when someone is waiting. It's a "I got you now sucka" moment where you are in control.

Another case that I've observed but not seen documented is do pedestrians walk more slowly when I car is waiting? I don't have evidence but it does seem that people slow down when they have control. Now I am all for pedestrians exercising their rights, but the other day I saw a person take their own sweet time across a garage entrance while 3 cars were waiting.

In this case, there were 3 cars taking more time idling spewing out green house gases. Not very eco. So in that case it would have made sense for the pedestrian to pick it up a little so that the cars would wait a little less, and the pedestrian would be closer to the destination at hand. It's not necessary to run as a pedestrian to help out the cars. (I cannot believe that I am saying this).

Yes, I know the argument that those cars shouldn't be driving in the first place, but the reality is that our transportation system are webs of interconnected systems, and keeping them working together smoothly means that all parties must give and take.

Sometimes you do want to run not walk, even if it is to help a car.