Berkeley, California, Berkeley, California, Berkeley, California: my home sweet home
Since I returned from my recent sojourn in the Shire among its dear little hobbits (i.e., in Merrie Olde Englande) I've noticed that the City of Berkeley has added a new safety feature to a few of its crosswalk trouble spots. In addition to the usual illuminated walk/don't walk traffic signs, there are now little bins attached to the posts at either side of the intersection, which contain flags of bright community-service orange. "For added visibility" a sign informs the pedestrian, "carry a flag." What a naff idea, as the hobbits would say. You look stupid enough as a pedestrian without adding to the humiliation by carrying a "please don't run me over" sign. I really couldn't imagine anyone swallowing that much pride.
Today, however, as I approached one of these crosswalks, I noticed that some patriotic troublemaker had taken it upon himself to add a few American flags to one of these bins. There ensued a little power-struggle between my inner patriot and my inner longing for unobtrusiveness (otherwise known as the "get out of Berkeley as quickly as you can before you encounter some intolerable freak" impulse.) My inner-patriot narrowly won, and I picked up the stars and stripes for my journey across the street, proudly (though admittedly a bit sheepishly as well.) I mean, when it came right down to it, I couldn't resist.
Now, if you do much walking around in Berkeley you always run the risk of getting run down by a US Out of Everything Including My Uterus Mobile, whether or not you're carrying a flag. So I'm not sure if it was mere coincidence that the driver of a passing Volvo committed a random act of subverting the dominant paradigm by flashing me an obscene sign: and no, I'm not talking about the bumper stickers that said "Born Again Pagan," and "Wiccan Power." The Wiccans have spoken: America bad. On the other hand, I think I got about three encouraging honks of what I presume was approbation. As I said, it might be pure coincidence, but judging from this unscientific sample, even in Berkeley 75% of motorists support the good old US of A. And 25% are still, well, a little "out there."
Posted by Dr. Frank at January 25, 2002 03:19 PM | TrackBack