An editorial in the Providence Journal recently called out students at Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design for being careless when crossing streets and riding bicycles. The Journal brings up a good point — one that we already made in an editorial last March. We asked students to take greater responsibility for their conduct on the sidewalks. We also highlighted a few problem areas where traffic was dangerous even for the most careful pedestrians.
But the Journal took things a step further. They aren't just upset that Brown students can be careless as pedestrians. They're also angry that students act "as if they own everything around them." The editorial pointed out that students should be aware that they're on public roads, not "private estates" where "some of these students come from." Shame on the Journal's editorial board for clouding its valid and important point with a childish insult.
First off, it's sad that the Journal had to resort to a worn-out stereotype. In reality, 43 percent of Brown students receive some form of financial aid, Davida Ross, information specialist in the Office of Financial Aid, told the editorial page board. But even if that number were zero or 100 percent, could the Journal's editorial board honestly believe that one's pedestrian habits are a function of one's socioeconomic background?
It's also worth noting that the University has formed a new committee to promote safer pedestrian habits and evaluate the efficacy of road signs on College Hill, The Herald reported in March. Already this year, many crosswalks across campus have been repainted.
The Journal laments the extra precautions motorists must take to avoid hitting students. To safely navigate the streets of College Hill, they say, drivers must "stay on constant alert" and refrain from using cell phones. Maybe driver's ed is just a little fresher in our memories, but we don't think that's too much to ask at all.
Moreover, eight other states have already banned handheld cell phone use while driving, according to the Governors' Highway Safety Association website. Instead of using space in an editorial to insult us, perhaps the Journal's editors could have weighed in on an important policy question and called for Rhode Island to also ban this dangerous practice.
While we completely agree that pedestrians need to be more responsible, motorists in Providence are far from perfect. As we pointed out last March, there are several problem areas around campus where drivers are frequently careless and disregard road signs. One such example is the sign in front of the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center instructing drivers to yield to pedestrians. Although drivers are required to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk by Rhode Island law, in our experience this is rarely followed.
We can't have safe roads without cooperation from both pedestrians and drivers. Pedestrians — and Brown students of all backgrounds — must do more to keep the streets safe, particularly at night.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials (at) browndailyherald.com.
