Careening.
I thought, when I first arrived, that "meandering" might be appropriate to describe how the Aixoise walk. Then I switched to "wandering." But I've realized they have a much more determined and violent air in their walking. They don't meander, they careen. There is absolutely no possible way to determine where a fellow pedestrian will go when they start coming at you and they will not, under any circumstances, move to accommodate you, even if there are five of them abreast and there's clearly no space for another pedestrian to move to accommodate them. I have been run into walls, off of sidewalks, into trash-cans. Aixoise will not share the road. If you add in that a frighteningly large number of them are carrying (and waving) cigarettes in their hands, it becomes a terrifying prospect as a runner.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of these people I'm talking about are little old ladies, and I'm firmly of the opinion that little old ladies can chose to walk wherever they want and it's my job as young-person and runner to get out of their way. If I only knew which way they would go! Since either my "fellow pedestrian radar" is completely a-whack, or, as previously proposed, they're careening without thought for life or limb, this is a nearly impossible task.
It's like playing Frogger with your life.
hahahaha, it's so true. learning the pedestrian customs of aix was, for me, far more involved and difficult than actually learning the french language. especially true: the waving cigarettes. have you actually gotten burned yet?
ReplyDeletealso, where do you run?
I have not actually gotten burned, but I did, stereotypically enough, get hit with a baguette.
ReplyDeleteEither around the old city or out along the street towards the Anthropology building. The first is difficult because it's usually crowded with pedestrians, the second because it's entirely uphill coming back. I also run in Parc Jordan or that other park that's further away but stunningly beautiful? But again, it's all uphill coming back... Any suggestions? Running in circles in Parc Jordan gets old quick.