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Man shares 'humiliating' experience attempting to walk along US highway: 'I felt like I needed to explain ... to everyone passing by'

"It's almost embarrassing to walk outside, not to mention the honking and over-stimulating sounds."

"It's almost embarrassing to walk outside, not to mention the honking and over-stimulating sounds."

Photo Credit: TikTok

One TikToker showed followers how tough walking around the United States can be. 

Evaanous (@evaanous) is an influencer with nearly 100,000 followers on TikTok, sharing slice-of-life content. In one clip, they posted their experience trying to navigate a car-focused neighborhood in the United States. 

@evaanous Normalize walkable cities #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #explore #europe #america #viral ♬ sad SpongeBob music - michael

In the video, they walk along a sidewalk that abuts a large four-lane road. While they are lucky to have a sidewalk, it is fairly narrow and barely protected from oncoming traffic. The clip is accompanied by music that portrays the experience as sad, and the on-screen text reads, "Why is walking in America so necessarily humiliating for no reason?"

Advocates of more pedestrian access have been trying to shed light on the issues facing people who don't drive. There are many places where it's virtually impossible to walk a short distance to stores that seem conveniently nearby. City planners often prioritize car usage over walkability. Other times, cars and trucks block walkways, making them impassable to walkers and wheelchair users alike. 

In 2021, the EPA conducted the National Walkability Index, where they discussed the issues and successes of walkable neighborhoods in the United States. 

"Walkable communities encourage social interaction, which engenders a sense of community and improves people's mental health — when people are walking to the grocery store or movie theater, they might encounter neighbors or friends, and those types of interactions are far less common and less personal when people travel in automobiles," they wrote.

Folks in the comments had a lot to say about the state of U.S. pedestrian access. 

"I had to walk 2 blocks to go eat when my car was in the shop for maintenance, and I felt like I needed to explain that to everyone passing by," wrote one person. 

Another person had a similar experience, explaining, "No, literally, it's almost embarrassing to walk outside, not to mention the honking and over-stimulating sounds."

🗣️ How much time do you spend commuting in the car each week?

🔘 Over an hour a day 😭

🔘 30-60 minutes a day 🫠

🔘 Under 30 minutes a day 😐

🔘 I never drive to work 🚶

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

Someone else who is a fan of walkability said, "We should invest more in public transportation or better walking paths in the future."

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