WALK THE WALK

When I watch those Jane Austen series on Masterpiece Theatre, I’m always impressed by how much walking everyone does. They stroll to the village, they saunter to the squire’s mansion, they meander through country lanes just for the simple pleasure of moving one foot in front of another. I always knew that Jane Austen and I were soul mates, and this proves it. I find walking is the cheapest, healthiest, pleasantest way to get from one place to the next.

I read somewhere that New Yorkers live longer than anyone in the country. You would think that the pollution, the stress, the noise of The Big Apple might not make it the healthiest place in America, but you would think wrong. Apparently, the reason for this longevity is that New Yorkers walk. They walk fast. And they walk while carrying things.  I’m based in Los Angeles now, and I’ve noticed that when I spend a few weeks in Manhattan, I eat everything in sight (you can’t get cold sesame noodles or a decent pumpernickel bread in L.A.) and always lose a few pounds.

New Yorkers are the fastest pedestrians in the U.S.A. I once arrived at Kennedy on a flight from Houston. As I sprinted off the plane, one ambling tourist drawled, “These New Yorkers are always in such a hurry!” I didn’t stop to explain that it’s because we have something interesting to hurry TO! I was in too much of a rush.

Lecco, a town in Italy, turned its school-bus system into a walk-bus system. The kids who had previously been driven to school now follow the same route on foot – accompanied by paid staffers and parental volunteers. This pied-piper arrangement diminished traffic, cut down greenhouse-gas emissions, and reduced childhood obesity: a win-win-win situation.