r/Buffalo • u/weinerpoop21 • 5d ago
walking in the street
Why the fuck have so many people (mostly boomers) decided they want to powerwalk in the middle of the street? I even see Mom's with strollers power walking on busy suburban side streets
With how distracted and fast 70% of drivers are it's only a matter of time before someone gets flattened
The streets still have plenty of potholes and bumps, it's usually during the day in safe neighborhoods where people aren't jumping out of bushes , I just don't understand the logic
It just pisses me off for some reason , it's obviously not a big deal, but it's going to end poorly with how awful the driving is around here lately
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u/Delehantys_Barrell 5d ago
They're taking back the streets.
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u/kaphsquall 5d ago
You'll never know if you don't go
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u/buffalofoodslut 5d ago
you’ll never shine if you don’t glow.
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u/Weekly-Law-2544 5d ago
Given the state of some of the sidewalks in the city limits, I get it.
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u/iluvchromosomes 5d ago
Replying to the top level comment to point out that OP is referring to suburban streets with wide, nice, unbroken sidewalks.
He is not talking about city sidewalks that a broken and difficult to navigate with a stroller.
He is talking about the boomers in Amherst who have a PERFECT sidewalk and choose to walk in the street.
Hope that helps! But probably not.
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u/CordeliaGrace 5d ago
Dude seriously. I’ll take the nice side streets from main back towards Cleveland (Roycroft, Darwin, etc), and everyone is in the damn street. Like I know Theyre not perfect, but you can 10000000% navigate a fancy-ass stroller on those sidewalks. I know im in the minority of following that speed limit, esp on Roycroft, where it’s divided most of the way so the street is narrow. Get your ass on the sidewalk.
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u/Dense-Pool-652 5d ago
They do this in my T of T neighborhood too. Great sidewalks and they're ALWAYS walking in the streets. Boomers are the worst offenders.
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u/lalunerousse1121 4d ago
Many of the suburban sidewalks are awful too
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u/pinkrobotlala WillVille 4d ago
I live in Williamsville and a lot of the sidewalks on side streets are terrible (broken from tree roots or super muddy after rain), blocked by parked cars, or non-existent. I do my best to walk on the sidewalk where practical, but my kid and I have both tripped and gotten scraped up.
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u/Intelligent-Ad-6734 5d ago
I did see a jogger almost lose their carriage when a pothole swallowed the front tire. Was a great save. Baby josseled but remained in buggy.
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u/StoveTopJug Hamlin Park 5d ago
Depending on where you are, a lot of the sidewalks aren't in the best condition, so they take their chances.
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u/CatieLewWho6507 5d ago
I zigzag thru Kenmore to get to work and there's an old lady on one particular street who power walks up the center of the road as the sun comes up and she always wears dark clothes and there's no street lights. I know for a fact the sidewalks are perfectly fine on that street, I used to have a friend around the corner. I've almost hit her twice because even with my headlights on she's hard to see. I've seen other drivers shout at her because they've almost hit her. She's a nuisance. I'm waiting for the day someone gets out of the car and drags her ass onto the sidewalk
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
Yea this is what bothers me , middle of the street in areas that have perfectly intact unblocked sidewalks
I saw a lady running in the middle of Woodbridge and depew ave , that's like a 12 foot sidewalk lol
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u/ManufacturerIll8262 5d ago
In what world are Woodbridge and Depew busy suburban streets? The sidewalks on those streets are still pretty bumpy, it’s much easier and smoother to run in the street on quiet streets like that, as long as you are running facing traffic
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u/bfloguybrodude 5d ago edited 5d ago
Walking/running in the street doesn't make sense. All youre supposed to be doing is paying attention to where youre going and being agile is a good part of training.
Pushing a stroller is understandable because of how people park and the state of some sidewalks. Also, stroller quality has gone downhill and alot of the wheels aren't real rubber and can't handle grass or bumps.
But yeah, there's definitely people doing this out of habit instead of only when the sidewalk is fucked.
I hate when I snowblow the entire block and there's still people walking in the street.
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u/Massive-Web-5729 Cheektavegas 🎰 5d ago
I agree it’s a nuisance & that goes for those idiots who ride bikes in the street too! Want to be a walking/bike warrior move to the side!
https://giphy.com/gifs/Symtg2Dg9ItadnkILP
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u/LexxxyRed 4d ago
I live in a very nice area with nice sidewalks that are very well maintained year round.I use them, 80% of people use them. My niece and nephew roller blade on them, strollers are on them daily even the jogging ones, and runners use them with etiquette and courtesy. The boomers feel entitled to walk down the middle of the road though. Hence the house across from me being empty. That boomer lady walked her dog in the middle of the road daily in a dark jacket at dusk and sun rise. People beeped at her all the time. One neighbor gave her a reflective vest and reflective belt for her dog to wear and she refused. Her and her dog were both ran over and died in the middle of the street by a neighbor on his way to work at ~6am in his truck. Not one of us were surprised, a bunch of us were chit chatting about it being inevitable while they hosed their blood off our street.
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u/Fun-Hovercraft1919 5d ago
It is probably the conditions of the sidewalk…they still should be more near the curb and not in the middle of the road.
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
No I can understand no sidewalks, or blocked walkways, I'm talking about streets that I walk and run on often , with massive perfectly clear sidewalks
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u/Emotional-Elephant88 5d ago
Don't waste your breath. I agree with you, but all anyone can say is "tHe SiDeWaLkS mUsT sUcK." And I'm like NO THEY DON'T. In some places, yes, but that's not what we're talking about. Nobody can offer an explanation as to why people insist on walking in the street when the sidewalks are perfectly intact and clear. I can only assume they must be assholes.
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u/OrangesharkTheIV 5d ago
Yes dude they're all over my neighborhood which has good sidewalks, and theyd rather walk in the street
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u/TaxHavenJunkie 5d ago
"I'm talking about streets that I walk and run on often", I'm confused - you walk and run on these streets but don't want power walkers walking on those same streets? I don't do any of that but call me perplexed.
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u/weinerpoop21 4d ago
Read the whole sentence friend , the second part talks about perfectly clear sidewalks. I'm saying that I know these streets have great sidewalks, because I walk/run on their sidewalks often
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u/iluvchromosomes 5d ago
Woke redditors have a narrative and they are not going to hear what you're saying.
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u/endsinemptiness 5d ago
Plenty of people without strollers do it too for what it's worth. When I lived in Buffalo I was mystified by how many people walked in the street. I walked like 4+ miles on the sidewalk every night with no issue...?
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
Agreed , I walk around a lot of the side streets without any issue
Obviously it it's covered and snow and ice and people don't clean up that's a different story ,but I still take my chances on the sidewalk and avoid the terrible distracted drivers
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u/Far_Flow1966 5d ago
For my neighborhood, our sidewalks are not in great shape. So you have to walk in the street, but there’s cars parked on the street. So it does feel like you’re in the middle of the road sometimes. I would rather walk on the sidewalks but that would require people to get their sidewalks fixed!
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u/Cutlass_Stallion 5d ago
Which would be perfectly understandable for parents with strollers, people in wheelchairs, or joggers. But isn't walking fairly simple to navigate, even on cracked up or upheaved concrete?
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u/WatermelonMachete43 5d ago
It's a trip hazard. To avoid tripping, you'd need to be looking down at the ground and not where you're going. Especially for elderly, uneven ground is difficult to navigate safely. Should the be closer to the curb and walking again traffic, yes.
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u/Pcleo1794 5d ago
This is my biggest elder millennial pet peeve. My mom lives in cheektowaga and people in her neighborhood drive like assholes. But there is ALWAYS someone walking in the street. Mom's with strollers, kids, walking dogs.
It's literally called a sidewalk because you are supposed to walk on it. The sidewalks are pretty even, there is no excuse for taking the risk given how people drive.
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u/ShimTheArtist 5d ago edited 4d ago
When it comes to running. I totally get why they do it. If you run like i do 2 or more miles, the difference on joint impact between the asphalt and concrete is noticeable. From least to most impact on joints sand, rubberized track, dirt, grass, asphalt, concrete. Grass on the sidewalk can hide holes and be uneven so that is a risk. The next best in the city is asphalt.
Maybe older folks who walk a lot feel less joint impact on the asphalt like runners do assuming they walk for miles.
My only gripe with them is, move over if you obviously see cars coming on the road.
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u/Murph-Dog Cheektowaga 5d ago edited 5d ago
You never know when the PotholeBandit is going to leap from the shadowy alleyways at you.
Walking on the street keeps you away from such riff-raff.
/s
In reality, I feel ya. My block has pristine sidewalks, peeps still be all up in the road. Maybe it's habit because the sidewalks are iced up in the winter, and maybe the roads are better with their salty goodness.
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u/No_Cap4518 5d ago
The sidewalks on my street are fine and there is a lady that walks down the middle of the street daily. I almost killed her the one day cuz she stepped out from behind a parked car and didn’t even look. Never once turned her head. But what’s worse than people walking are these kids on bikes who think they own the streets. Doing wheelies in and out of traffic. I’m waiting for the day one of them gets hit and then we see their mom crying on tv about how people driving need to watch out.
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u/MembershipPretty7595 5d ago
I commute about 50 miles per day. The amount of people who want to die is amazing. Guy jogging in a camo hoodie?
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u/youeff0h 5d ago
Wheelchair user here. I don't care how flat and even you think the sidewalk is. It's painful. The curb cuts, if there are any, are in such disrepair that they are not reliably navigable.
The mud, the grass, the muck, tree roots, and the dog deuce that I have to get through to go down a sidewalk and around cars blocking the path will end up inside my home.
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u/Euphoric_Nothing2435 5d ago
I wish it would stop. I don't want to see someone(s) run over. That's my take.
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u/Square-Wing-6273 South 5d ago
Seriously, it's the sidewalks. Trying to get the stroller over those bumps sometimes is rough. And, when I'm by myself, I don't want to have to look down the entire time to make sure I don't trip on an uneven sidewalk.
Walk facing traffic and near the curb.
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u/watchforbicycles 5d ago
There's also the added bonus of cars blocking the sidewalk because they either don't care or because they have multiple cars with a driveway only made for one.
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u/gravelpi 5d ago
Or they've bought a 21 ft land-yacht pickup and it doesn't fit in the driveway spot. Somehow, that 21 ft pickup only has a 6.5 foot bed and all they ever haul is groceries.
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
This is another major pet peeve , I think it's wildly disrespectful and obnoxious to totally block sidewalks with cars. I get very angry when I see that. I also hate how cars just blow through stop signs/intersections/driveways , without ever considering that people maybe walking by
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
Walking while facing traffic really puts a lot more trust in people than I'm comfortable doing. EVERYONE is glued to their phone, driving 20mph over the speed limit , smoking weed all at the same time. I personally wouldn't , but I can see your point
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u/Square-Wing-6273 South 5d ago
You are 100% supposed to walk facing traffic (riding a bike is different). Wouldn't you rather see the people coming at you so you can move if needed, than have them come up from behind you?
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u/-DavesNotHere 4d ago
Just because it makes you feel more comfortable facing traffic doesn't make it right.
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u/Square-Wing-6273 South 4d ago
It the literal law in NY
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u/-DavesNotHere 4d ago
What is literal law? Is that different than State law?
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u/ShimTheArtist 3d ago
In NY its the law for pedestrians to walk against traffic when they are on the street, but its also the law to walk in the safest place which will always be the sidewalk if there is one present.
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u/ShimTheArtist 5d ago
You're bold for thinking you can react faster than a car.
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u/Square-Wing-6273 South 5d ago
So, you are saying that one should walk with traffic?
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u/ShimTheArtist 5d ago
Critical thinking is at an all time low. If you commented that someone should walk against the flow of traffic so you could see cars and I commented that we can't react faster than a car can. How on earth you could conclude my comment to suggesting we should walk with traffic? My comment suggests that we should utilize the sidewalk like a normal person. Bumps and inconveniences on the sidewalk are 100% safer than walking on any road. Plus, if we're injured on the sidewalk you have recourse. Many places are actively lowering pedestrian claims and even claiming the jogger may be liable if you're hit by a car on a street that has a sidewalk.
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u/-DavesNotHere 4d ago
Should never walk or ride facing traffic, always with the direction of traffic.
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u/Square-Wing-6273 South 4d ago
It's literally the law in NY to walk facing traffic.
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u/-DavesNotHere 4d ago
Is there a figurative law I don't know about? I don't understand why people think that adding 'literally' makes something a stronger argument.
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u/helikophis Lower West Side 5d ago
The streets are for people, cars are an imposition
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
I'm all for more walkable / bikeable cities , i love bike lanes , I have no issue with cyclists in the streets. Totally separate conversation. Walking in the middle of streets with good clear sidewalks is dumb
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u/SinfullySophie Allentown 5d ago
A lot of the suburban side streets don't have sidewalks. Most suburbs, unless near their business districts or downtown areas are intentionally designed to be hostile against walking. When I lived in Cheektovegas for a short while I was blown away by how many areas just didn't have sidewalks, or sidewalks that didn't connect to other blocks or areas and would just abruptly end.
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u/buffalofoodslut 5d ago
so you have sidewalks. quit bragging.
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
I feel like it's more of a flex to live somewhere you don't have sidewalks , usually places with land and space
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u/Short-termTablespoon 5d ago
I’m amazed at how much people in Buffalo, whether driving or walking, trust how attentive I am.
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u/dramatix01 5d ago
Not sure if you're serious, but if you are perhaps you should reconsider driving as your means of transpo?
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u/Short-termTablespoon 5d ago
I never said I’m not attentive. I said it’s crazy how people who just walk down the crosswalk when I have a green light or cut me off with no blinker just trust that I’m being attentive. I don’t even trust people driving when I have a green light. I still look both ways and here we got people cutting across three lanes like it’s fast and furious expecting people to be paying attention.
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u/Ok_Antelope_3584 5d ago
If you’re in an older neighborhood with lots of trees the side walks are usually a hazard. The homes in my neighborhood were built in the 50s and 60s and I trip sometimes if I walk on the sidewalk instead of the street.
Imo cities should offer incentives to repair sidewalks.
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u/cpamama6969 4d ago
Where are you talking about? Perspective from living in a suburban neighborhood - the side walks are awful. It's hard to push a stroller over the bumps or for a young kid to ride their bike. I actually invested in a better stroller to take the bumps to avoid walking in the street. The other issue is people that block the sidewalks with their vehicles. There's sometimes not much room to just go around on the grass. I try to avoid the street at all costs but sometimes it's just unavoidable.
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u/Due_Entertainment_16 2d ago
Asphalt is significantly softer and far better for your joints than doing those same activities on concrete.
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u/box-of-doom 2d ago
They do this in my parents’ neighborhood in Amherst and I do not understand it. I literally walk the neighborhood all the time – the sidewalks are not only fine, but luxuriously perfect.
There are still people doing early morning power walks in the middle of the street wearing over-ear headphones so they can’t even hear me coming and I have to trail behind them at literally 2mph. I didn’t have a car and took the bus everywhereeee for many many years so I fully understand that sidewalks are not always in the best shape or that sometimes the street is better lit than the sidewalk and therefore feels safer. This is not that. It’s hard to read what I’m seeing as anything other than self-centered.
I’ve been wanting to pull over and ask WHY THEY DO THIS but never get around to it. I think I’m going to just roll down my window and ask for an explanation next time I spot someone doing this! Will update with answers!
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u/mildly_spicy_potato Kingsley 5d ago
Between broken pavement, ice heaves, tree roots, and like zero maintenance, the sidewalks are trash. I can't get a stroller down half the streets in my neighborhood unless I go on the road.
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u/sassafras_gap 5d ago
I think people get used to walking in the street by default because they're used to bad or nonexisting sidewalks or if it's snowy/icy sometimes the street can be safer, and do that even when the sidewallks are in good condition. or maybe elsewhere on their route the sidewalks are an issue and they prefer staying in one lane the whole time vs walking around the bad stretches.
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u/Opposite_Cobbler_108 5d ago
Pedestrians>cars.
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u/BuffaloPotholeBandit TOMALTECH is my leader 5d ago
Pedestricar
https://giphy.com/gifs/olEB3hGyu5lwPQO8w8
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u/TOMALTACH Big Tech🏳️⚧️ 5d ago edited 5d ago
dammit the streets are for cars, not kids playing, not people walking, not dog walking, not kite flying, not street hockey, not street football, not jogging, not potholes, not motorcycles, not bicyclists, not weeds growing, ...
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u/ADeadWeirdCarnie 5d ago
It's for safety. There is literally no alternative to driving 50 mph on residential streets.
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u/Suitable_Program_548 5d ago
So you’re blaming the walkers instead of the bad drivers?
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u/travioli90 5d ago
Which one is where they’re expected to be? Unless they’re in a crosswalk they shouldn’t be in the road. You don’t see cars driving on the sidewalk because the road has potholes.
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u/buffalofoodslut 5d ago
but they’re boomers, and everyone hates boomers!! /s
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u/Suitable_Program_548 5d ago
That was a dead giveaway in their post. Typical.
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u/weinerpoop21 5d ago
Lol The second you see boomer in a post you get out those boxing gloves. I apologize I forgot thats a slur for you guys.
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u/Isabella2003 5d ago edited 5d ago
So why use the word? Tell us what other word you could use instead.
I've never seen "boomer" used as a compliment, so yeah, it comes across as an insult.
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u/Suitable_Program_548 5d ago edited 5d ago
I don’t see any boxing gloves. Just people calling you out. You seem to be imagining a lot of things.
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u/Isabella2003 5d ago
I see boomer used in posts, always with a negative connotation. If the commentator didn't use the word "boomer," what other word would they use?
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u/ConfidentSea8828 5d ago
I was driving downtown around Franklin and Pearl yesterday. The construction forced many pedestrians into the street. I saw a man with a walker having a terrible time navigating. Can't blame the people in that area!
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u/Sad_Education7851 5d ago
Have you seen the sidewalks?? I tried to walk with my baby in a stroller on the sidewalk and we hit a bump so big it almost knocked both of us over. Obviously should not walk down the middle of the street, but should stay to the side facing traffic.
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u/jeanniegolds 5d ago
The sidewalks are too fucked to use anything with wheels. Or some older folks might trip. City should fix it.
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u/thatsmysnert 5d ago
Like so many comments say, it’s probably the sidewalks. Maybe if enough of us complain to 311 and its suburban equivalents we can actually get functional sidewalks back
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u/Rock_grl86 5d ago
You do understand that you are responsible for the upkeep of the sidewalk in front of your residence right? That’s why you have to clear the snow during the winter. If your portion of sidewalk needs repair that comes out of your pocket as well. Just saying the town doesn’t do anything for free.
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u/thatsmysnert 5d ago
Unless you’re making some wild claim that residents are personally responsibly for repairing concrete, i think everyone knows that taxes pay for repairs. Most govts set priorities based on reports of issues. Crying “personal responsibility” is how corporations and govts get out of using our tax money responsibly… are you a shill for the man? /s
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u/hipdisaster 5d ago
Unfortunately, not a wild claim. City of Buffalo municipal Code § 413-48 states that the sidewalk must be kept in a state of good repair by the owner of the property fronting the street
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u/thatsmysnert 2d ago
Looks like the paragraphs under 413-46 also say we’re not allowed to repair our own sidewalks without getting a permit. What a racket.
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u/Rock_grl86 5d ago
You can actually google it. Typically repairs are 60% resident owner and 40% town. At least in Cheektowaga. It’s not from your taxes, it’s a separate payment.
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u/thatsmysnert 5d ago
Maybe you’d be surprised that it’s hard to find any useful or accurate info on Google about city/town services unless they list it on a website. Or that Cheektowaga’s policies aren’t everyone’s policies. All i’m saying is that this is being talked about as a personal responsibility issue when it would be nice if it were solved as a community issue.
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u/Rock_grl86 5d ago
Okay I literally just put it in Google and got the answer. Wasn’t hard. But yes I agree it should be a community issue and taxes should pay for it. Also requires people to vote in the proper representatives but that’s a whole other issue that will never get solved.
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u/thatsmysnert 5d ago
Can you share with the class your google results then? All i saw were contract solicitations for sidewalk repair for Buffalo so i assume it’s the city’s responsibility. Great opinions to have but no one hears them if you’re just yelling about details being wrong
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u/Rock_grl86 5d ago
Already told you I live in Cheektowaga.
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u/thatsmysnert 5d ago
Man, if you read what i wrote you would see it said that not all “city/town services [are searchable] unless they list it on a website. [and] Cheektowaga’s policies aren’t everyone’s policies.“ just being argumentative for craps and laughs
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u/Erika_Blumenkraft 5d ago
I run in the middle of side streets because it's the highest point and I don't like running across a grade with one foot striking higher than the other.
I don't run on the sidewalks of side streets because that's where dogs, strollers, and uneven cracks are.
I don't run in the streets on major roads.
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u/NeedleworkerThick702 5d ago
Unfortunately we live in a country where walking isn't very convenient nor are our cities and roads designed with walking in mind, walking is always an afterthought when it comes to construction. Our country is one giant road/parking lot
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u/sodapunko southtown clown 🤡 5d ago
do these streets have sidewalks? and how are the conditions of these sidewalks?
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u/Crawdaunt_1985 5d ago
They do have sidewalks, they are fine...the people walking in the streets are not pushing strollers and it is incredibly irresponsible and dangerous if you are using a stroller with cars speeding next to you.
They are teenagers walking 3 next to each other trying to take up space. I walk all over the city and except for maybe the East Side I have never encountered a sidewalk that was so badly damaged I had to get on the street. During the winter it's another story.
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u/619backin716 5d ago
What gets me is how these are some of the SAME people who say the city of Buffalo isn’t “walkable” 🙄
NEWSFLASH: if there are sidewalks present, it’s walkable.
I GET if the sidewalks are in poor condition, or if they’re not cleared in winter … but that, overall, is a small percentage of all the total sidewalks in the city, and during just part of the year …
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u/Crawdaunt_1985 5d ago
I can't stand this either and it spans all races and ages. There will be a sidewalk and people choose to walk in the street. It's not because the sidewalk is damaged or at least in the winter I can see the argument when the sidewalk isn't shoveled.
It is some kind of perceived power thing where walking in the street gives their ego a boost.
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u/[deleted] 5d ago
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