The Street

Streets: Farmers' Markets. ( PS filters )

Streets: Parking directions, Penticton.

Streets: Art Displays. Downtown Penticton.

It is amazing how many functions and uses we have for streets. "The space between the buildings."  In some places we put a raised part on one or both sides where people can walk safely, and the centre part is supposed to be reserved for vehicles. This in turn led to crosswalks, or zebras, and jaywalking. The centre is also used for parking, parades, farmers' markets, policemen on horseback, farmer's tractors, hockey-games, buses, taxis, bicycle races, picking up and depositing rubbish, "occupying" and other demonstrations, even riots. A more recent innovation is to have purely walking streets. Also bike lanes are rapidly being introduced. and all kinds of other fancy lanes, like HOV lanes. In the old days the streets were occupied by trams and their lines, or trolley buses and their wires. In some cities hardly anyone walks, and sidewalks (pavements?) are taken over by bicycles, wheelchairs, scooters, even electric mopeds. In our little town there are no railways so the streets are being used by huge noisy smelly tractor-trailers hauling goods. In New York I think they ban private cars in some areas because of congestion, only allowing taxis and commercial vehicles. In Asian countries all these functions take place simultaneously, leading to appalling overcrowding. And so in more regulated countries conflicts and rules abound. Things have changed. In the old days car-drivers would be stopped by flocks of sheep or herds of cows, or even mother ducks and their brood.....nowadays it could be that a street is closed so the residents can have a communal garage sale! or even just a birthday party!