(no subject)

[owlectomy]

Will Self on urban walking as political is what I thought of as, yesterday, I hiked up into Fort Tryon park towards the Cloisters. Because, you know, being somewhat more than three kilos overweight, clearly it was impossible for me to navigate the half-mile of winding upward steps. (I will admit I had to check my glowing multifaceted jewel to tell me where to go; the signage was not particularly good.)

I value my savoir-faire in getting around in the city, with more reference to the sun than to GPS for directions; and I think there is little better in the world than walking home after midnight slightly drunk, breathing in the darkness and the night air, when you can do it without getting hassled.

But -- meh. Skeptical, as always, of establishing one's personal values as universal political ones. And twice skeptical of pinning the blame for suburbia on some kind of stereotype of someone who doesn't like to walk because they're a whole shocking three kilograms overweight. (It would be nice also if he didn't ignore people who aren't able to walk because of disabilities!)

Comments

[daedala]

I couldn't get past the opening. :(

From your description, I'd hate the rest of it, too. I don't own a car (and I'm in a somewhat less amenable city for this kind of thing than NYC), and it's even partly political, but it's not virtuous.

[deborah]

yeah. I love walking (and have to, for a variety of reasons having to do with both privilege and lack of same), so it's tempting to tell myself this makes me a better person.

It doesn't. It's how I get around, and it is something I enjoy doing, and it doesn't make me a better person any more than knitting or going to church or driving or hiking or going to the gym makes somebody a better person.

(Also my god, he's a terrible writer!)

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

too unfit to travel across appreciable portions of the city by her own motive power

I sincerely hope that's irony, or an extended meaning of 'unfit.'

[hapaxnym.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I'm the type of person who is likely to quote both Cicero and T.S. Eliot in a brief inter-office memo about making change, and even *I* found that unbearably pretentious.

Not to mention really really privileged.