Jaded ... Reasons Not to Walk

Jaded
I met up with my parents in Chicago this weekend for my cousin's wedding. As I was about to head out the door of our hotel near O'Hare, I was thinking, "Man, it's been a long time since I've run on the road". With easy access to trails in Eugene, I never feel the need to hit the road for a run. I was pleasantly surprised by the 3.5 mile Bridal trail through a nature reserve that was two blocks from our hotel. I do, however, think that the trail could be improved if the underpasses were maintained, had better drainage, and had lighting. Connections to surrounding neighborhoods and nearby preserves could be improved as well. For example, there was not a complete sidewalk from our hotel to the path. There was plenty of right of way in front of an adjacent office park, and I would imagine that their employees could also benefit from a walk through the park.

Reasons Not to Walk
We moved to a hotel in Rockford for the next two nights. My dad drove me to my cousin's hotel to sit the kids while my cousin and his wife went to visit my uncle. On the way, I realized that the hotels were less than a half mile apart. "This is ridiculous", I said, "I should have walked". My dad insisted on picking me up when they return. "There aren't any crosswalks", he said, "And plus, this is Saturday night, and more likely than not there are a bunch of drunk drivers out tonight." He was right. It didn't seem like a safe place to walk, but I was right too. It was ridiculous that I had to be driven half a mile.