Sidewalks are for suckers

Occasionally, I listen to various family members who suggest I walk on the sidewalk. Occasionally, I almost die, too.

I hate for many reasons: They are full of cracks, signposts, telephone poles and more. Then there is the curb and its six-inch plunge to the road.

In Mom's defense, she said "Good luck with the sidewalks," and she asserts that she did not necessarily mean to use them'

But when I crossed Park Avenue and neared the busy Route 7, I decided to use the sidewalk. I was driving into the wind, so I had my head buried in my scarf. Then I felt Claren pulling a bit on the leash.

I looked up to see another reason I dislike sidewalks: People use them, sometimes to walk their full-size Poodles.

With the Poodle on my left, I made a quick right slant and cut off my power so I did run off the sidewalk. I then watched in slow motion as my right front wheel edged nearer and nearer to the curb. It stopped right on the lip.

I then continued down the sidewalk looking into the wind despite the cold. no more real near-death experiences, though when crossing 7 in the crosswalk with the walk sign, this dang SUV did make a left turn in front of me.

Roads! They're as bad as sidewalks.