Follow the rules, and no one gets hurt

Open letter to the readers of Corner Post:

I'm writing as a concerned pedestrian, driver and faculty member at MU.

Would everyone please slow down, obey the traffic rules and do the right thing?
I'm talking to drivers of cars, riders of bicycles and pedestrians (USE the crosswalks, OK? I promise I'll stop for you there.)

Just two weeks ago, Professor Bruce Bullock was hit while using the crosswalk on University Avenue (coming from the parking garage of the same name) by a driver who said she didn't see him. He had several hours of surgery to repair his broken leg bones and injured knee, and now faces weeks of recovery time.

Last week, I was nearly run down in the crosswalk at the corner of Hitt and Rollins by a cyclist going at tremendous speed west on Rollins, THROUGH the stop sign and into a large crowd of pedestrians in the crosswalk. I give him credit for being in the street and not on the sidewalk (hint to other bikers - get off the sidewalks). However, he ended up with his front tire an inch from my toes and my hand on his handlebars as he screeched to a stop in front of me. Stop signs are for bicycles, too - I don't want to be run over by you when I'm walking, and I really don't want to crash into you when I'm driving, OK?

Lastly, even though the only place it's posted is in fine print on the bottom of the signs at the entrances, the speed limit in the new Virginia Avenue parking garage is 10 mph. Tires shouldn't be squealing around corners at 10 mph. PLEASE slow down. The life you save might be mine.

Marilyn Cummins
Coordinator, Agricultural Journalism