The City of Ottawa thinks we're stupid.
First there was swift kick in the gonad that is the $750 tax increase this year. Now given, we live in an up and coming 'hood, and well, the house is worth more.. bla bla bla... but from this end, it looks strangely like it's costing me $750 for nothing. We're doing ok, but an extra $60+ bucks a month isn't not making my heart sing.
So, earlier this month, they did something. In a room with low oxygen, they looked at all the things they keep track of -- and they came to the stellar conclusion that pedestrian were not safe.
The numbers are as follows. In their words: Between 2004 and 2008 (FOUR YEARS) there were:
- Pedestrian-related fatalities: 32
- Pedestrian-related injuries: 1,487 (181 of those were "life-altering").
With a bit of digging, I discovered this:
- Population of Ottawa: 812,000 (per 2006 Census)
- Number of motor vehicle collisions according to the 2008 report: 15,638
- Number of fatalities in 2008 (including pedestrians, cyclists): 30. (10 pedestrians)
- Number of injuries (in total) in 2008: 4,115 (333 pedestrians)
And they came to the only rational conclusion, that pedestrians were the problem and need to be more careful. So they launch Walk as if your dumb enough to pay property tax in Ottawa. Big old bus ads, and TV ads and wowee... zowee... look both ways before you cross the street.
Yes, it's awful awful awful that any gets hurt on the roads. But looking at these numbers, it's not standing out to be that the pedestrians are the issue. No, missy smoking a cigarette, while yelling at here kids and texting her best friends while driving... she's a problem. People driving to quickly, people being rude, inconsiderate and lacking compassion behind the wheel of a car. Obsessed with it all... that's a problem.
You know what the hell else is a problem? CYCLISTS ON THE SIDEWALK. Now if you're over the age of 12, and you have your bicycle on the sidewalk you are a menace. (If the road is too scary you should walk your bike.)
But pedestrians... well, they know what they're doing. They are minding their own business they know cyclists and motorists can be a touch mental. They don't need the City to them that...
