25 + 25 points
No Jaywalking by Voo
July 23rd, 2008 6:39 AM
I live in Uptown Minneapolis, as I'm sure most of you know by now, and we have no shortage of traffic lights. Or so I thought. Turns out, if you get turned a certain way by Fate, you'll find yourself on a long road of stop sign only intersections, wondering if you'll ever see a stoplight again.
I started out my front door, at Aldrich Ave and Lake Street. I flipped a coin and it declared that I should head east to start. I walked east up Lake Street and the first stoplight I encountered (Lyndale Ave) forced me to turn. I took a right to cross the street and walked south on Lyndale Avenue.
Oh, man. 4 of the long blocks, which is half a mile. Finally, at 34th Street, the lights commanded me to turn left and cross the street to continue east. I walked a few short blocks until the light at Grand insisted that I turn right to cross the street. I continued south on Grand Ave for 1 block, then turned left to go east on 35th Street.
I thought I was going to head south and east forever, but then I encountered the stoplight at Blaisdell and 35th. The light straight ahead of me was red. The light to my right was green. However, there was no walk sign, and the title of the task is, after all, No Jaywalking. So I took a left and headed north on Blaisdell Ave.
Then something obnoxious yet eventually helpful happened. I got to the stoplight at Blaisdell and 31st Street, and during my crossing, the light turned yellow. This meant that the other light turned green/walk before I reached the other side of the street. Feeling the hand of Fate, I took an immediate left to cross the street. Then I tripped on the curb and went sprawling to the ground, landing smackdab hard on my palms and kneecaps.
Shaken, I collected myself and made sure I wasn't super hurt. When I stood up, I was on the north side of 31st east of Blaisdell. So, the north east corner, facing west. That light was green and the little walk guy was lit up, so I headed west on 31st Street.
Eventually, I found myself back at 31st and Lyndale, an intersection I had already visited when I was walking south on Lyndale at the beginning of my journey.
This was pretty fun. I feel like I didn't get the twisty turny experience I was hoping for, but that just wasn't in the cards for me today. I really lucked out that I ended up walking in a big square and that when I got hurt I wasn't too far from home.
My knees are a little sore and my hands kind of sting from scraping the cement, but I don't have any bruises or cuts, so I guess that's alright then.
A good task, but I think it would have been more fun with either a bunch of people or a downtown setting.
[[Voo]]
I started out my front door, at Aldrich Ave and Lake Street. I flipped a coin and it declared that I should head east to start. I walked east up Lake Street and the first stoplight I encountered (Lyndale Ave) forced me to turn. I took a right to cross the street and walked south on Lyndale Avenue.
Oh, man. 4 of the long blocks, which is half a mile. Finally, at 34th Street, the lights commanded me to turn left and cross the street to continue east. I walked a few short blocks until the light at Grand insisted that I turn right to cross the street. I continued south on Grand Ave for 1 block, then turned left to go east on 35th Street.
I thought I was going to head south and east forever, but then I encountered the stoplight at Blaisdell and 35th. The light straight ahead of me was red. The light to my right was green. However, there was no walk sign, and the title of the task is, after all, No Jaywalking. So I took a left and headed north on Blaisdell Ave.
Then something obnoxious yet eventually helpful happened. I got to the stoplight at Blaisdell and 31st Street, and during my crossing, the light turned yellow. This meant that the other light turned green/walk before I reached the other side of the street. Feeling the hand of Fate, I took an immediate left to cross the street. Then I tripped on the curb and went sprawling to the ground, landing smackdab hard on my palms and kneecaps.
Shaken, I collected myself and made sure I wasn't super hurt. When I stood up, I was on the north side of 31st east of Blaisdell. So, the north east corner, facing west. That light was green and the little walk guy was lit up, so I headed west on 31st Street.
Eventually, I found myself back at 31st and Lyndale, an intersection I had already visited when I was walking south on Lyndale at the beginning of my journey.
This was pretty fun. I feel like I didn't get the twisty turny experience I was hoping for, but that just wasn't in the cards for me today. I really lucked out that I ended up walking in a big square and that when I got hurt I wasn't too far from home.
My knees are a little sore and my hands kind of sting from scraping the cement, but I don't have any bruises or cuts, so I guess that's alright then.
A good task, but I think it would have been more fun with either a bunch of people or a downtown setting.
[[Voo]]
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posted by Rachel's Reflection on July 23rd, 2008 3:00 PM
Oh no! Heal quickly!
And, on the plus side, you can now document your injuries healing if you haven't done that task already.
And yeah, the idea for this task came out of an idea a friend and I had for a walk we wanted to try doing together at some point, so I can see how it would be more fun with company.
10 more blocks and you would have been at my house!