City sidewalks may not be glamorous, but they are essential for safely navigating roads. One visually impaired person had to deal with a narrow and dangerous path when construction vehicles blocked their way.
Slightly Blurry (@slightlyblurry) is a visually impaired YouTuber who shares videos detailing life with a guide dog. In one viral video with nearly three million views, the creator shows how treacherous sidewalks can be.
The clip starts with a voiceover saying, "My guide dog Elwin and I are walking down the street when something strange happens and we come across this truck parked in the middle of the sidewalk."
Slightly Blurry goes on to show how, with Elwin's help, they are able to move past all five trucks along a narrow strip of grass between the would-be sidewalk and the busy roadway. They even have to contend with an open trailer door, making the navigable route even smaller.
While they do not begrudge workers for having a job to do, they express frustration that the laborers have chosen to block the walking path when it appears they have ample parking space on their construction site.
Sidewalk safety and availability is a contentious issue, with videos like this regularly gaining traction online. Pedestrians in New York City squeeze through tiny gaps to avoid walking into traffic, while others use sidewalks barely wide enough for one person.
Environment America wrote on sidewalks as a way to reduce our reliance on cars: "As the least-carbon intensive form of transportation, it makes sense to design our communities to encourage walking and to make it the easiest way to get around."
Unfortunately, communities in the United States often prioritize cars over pedestrians. For example, thoughtless planning in Florida made what could be a short jaunt to the store a challenging half-mile walk, including crossing four lanes of traffic.
Creating more walkable communities can increase access to green spaces and improve health. In fact, "In walkable neighborhoods, people are also more likely to make use of parks and public squares, and other outdoor spaces," wrote Public Square: A CNU Journal.
The observations made in the video were eye-opening for many folks.
"Call the local city office. It's not only unusual, it's illegal," wrote one person.
Another commented, "I'm a wheelchair user, and I would not have been able to go around it or get off the sidewalk because of the lack of curb cut at the first truck."
Someone else added praise for the OP's pup, saying, "Good job, Elwin! That's a very good guide dog!"
By making sidewalks more accessible to everyone, municipalities can help their citizens while creating more opportunities for healthy and safe recreation.
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