Your back page article last week regarding pedestrians was quite important and this is a subject that you need to pursue more vigorously.
However, I was a little bit concerned. It’s easy to see why and this pertains to the answer to the question “who is a pedestrian?”
You see, many or most people’s idea/perception is that a pedestrian is someone who does not own a car! This is patently wrong. Everybody (whether they own a car or not) the moment they step out of that car becomes a pedestrian. It’s got nothing to do with ownership of a car or not.
You see some people - the way they behave - it’s as if they never get out of their cars. Why? People think a car is a status symbol instead of a means of transport. And this is the very question a visitor to South Africa asked me recently, “Why do South Africans behave as if a car is some status symbol instead of it being a means of transport?” So to the motorist (remember you are a motorist only at that moment when you are driving a car) and please note that you are pedestrians as well. I do own a car too (a BMW M3 to boot) but I always treat other people as I expect to be treated when I’m not driving my car!
