Friday Funny: Pity the Fool Who Doesn't Yield to a Law-Abiding Pedestrian

A satirical article published by The Onion tells a familiar tale.

1 minute read

February 15, 2019, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Kids on the Street

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"Stepping off the curb and into the crosswalk, local man Adam Hartsell reportedly made sure to look up at the driver of an approaching vehicle Thursday to ensure they would feel extra guilty in the event they failed to stop and ran him over," according to a totally make-believe article for the satirical website The Onion that gets laugh by also obviously telling the truth of the pedestrian experience in a world designed for cars.

Notice that Hartsell isn't making eye contact to make sure the car has stopped, or is already stopping. It might be said that the satire implies some culpability on the part of the pedestrian who cares more for passing messages with their eyes than making sure of their safety before stepping into the street. But this assessment is that the guilt is what matters, because pedestrians have a right to cross the street. 

Thursday, February 7, 2019 in The Onion

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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