I stumbled upon this website called Walk Score. You can type in any address and the website will assess your location a score based upon distance to places like grocery stores, parks, schools... etc.
My honkin' big house has a walk score of 54, and my previous swanky condo residence that I sorely miss scores a whoppin' 92.
When I saw these two scores, I thought the scoring system maybe somewhat appropriate. Afterall, I walked EVERYWHERE when I lived at the condo and now I only walk around the block, or to the library, or occasionally to the grocery store.
But then I decided to throw in my parent's Houston address, and it scored a a 72! Seventy-two? I think on special occasion my friend Jill and I would walk to a little eaterie. And now my parents say they walk to Freebirds, but that's it. The mall is close but you'd have to cross a multi-lane road and walk along grassy un-sidewalked areas to get to the mall. Not to mention the fact that you'd also have to trek the great concrete parking lot, and all in 90 degree weather.
Who really walks anywhere in Houston? It's too hot, too humid and too sunny a good portion of the year. Oh, yes, and you would be food for the hungry mosquitoes. Not to mention those crazy Caribbean raspberry ants.
So apparently walk score doesn't take into account weather or the existence of sidewalks or pedestrian friendly drivers. Sure... go ahead... take a walk... and those angry raged Houston drivers will make it your last.
3 comments:
Gotta love these attempts to define social behaviors in technological or mathematical terms. It would be downright hilarious if there weren't so many people out there who actually take them seriously...
what a hilarious post. i totally agree with you. houston, as a whole, is not very walkable. our home (consdered "in the city" and very close to a lot of stores) scored a 54... but honestly, besides our neighborhood playground and swimming pool, we don't walk anywhere. like you said, heat + humidity + mosquitoes + crazy houston drivers = car. there's no way around it, though. i was outside with my kids this evening for 10 minutes, and we all came in looking like we had just taken a shower.
I don't remember ever walking to Clementines. Didn't we always ride our bikes? The only time I can remember walking was on Halloween.
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