A few weeks ago, I was walking down Johnson Street mulling over my morning classes when I heard someone screaming behind me. The sidewalks on Johnson Street were relatively empty, and I could not figure out who was yelling at the top of his lungs. Then I heard the screaming man go whizzing past me on a moped. I could not figure out at whom or why he was shouting. Then I saw something I could not believe: He was driving his moped one-handed going 30 miles per hour while talking (or, more correctly, yelling) on a cell phone. I thought I was witnessing a Darwin Award in the making.

A few days later, I saw a woman on a bike make a left turn from Park Street into the bike lane of University Avenue. She decided to beat the red light and turn right in front of the Route 85 Madison Metro Bus. If I was a betting man, I would have put a $20 on having to perform first aid on her after calling 911.

Most of us have seen our fellow students doing not-so-bright things while driving a moped, riding a bike or crossing the street. Most of us are guilty of occasionally also being the not-so-bright student who acted before thinking. In a hurry, I too have run across University as the pedestrian light flashes red because I was running late. The times I have decided to risk it, I tell myself (as my heart rate is coming down after my sprint) "Wow, that was dumb." Of course, I stupidly do it again a week later.

Most of us do not think of the consequences of taking a small risk around campus. After all, car drivers know enough around campus to look for pedestrians and bikes coming from all directions. Personally, I make sure to be even more alert when driving near campus because of the near-chaos on Johnson and Park streets and University Avenue between classes. Many of us assume that a driver of a car should know better than to not pay attention while driving during the week around UW.

The Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System, a project by the Center for Health Systems Research and Analysis on campus, has collected statistics concerning the medical and financial outcomes of motor vehicle crashes across the state. According to CODES, there were 128 pedestrian injuries from motor vehicle crashes in the Madison resulting in 20 hospitalizations and three fatalities in 2004. There were also 97 bicycle injuries with eight ending in hospital stays and one death.

Too often we forget about the reality of life outside of the classroom while we are walking, riding or biking around campus. I know that on more than one occasion I have not paid attention to my surroundings when working through a new theory in my head, planning my schedule for the rest of the day or on my cell phone while walking from Van Hise to the SERF. Most of the time, I think nothing of it; after all, in a group of 50 of us crossing University, no one will hit that mass of students.

I did not give safety walking around campus much thought until last Friday. I decided to drive in for an appointment instead of taking the bus. I got onto campus right as the rain was turning over to sleet. The road conditions were deteriorating, and I just wanted the appointment to be finished quickly so that I could get home safe and sound. (I am not used to driving in winter conditions after living in Arizona for two years.) After making a left turn from University onto Charter Street, I fishtailed a little. For a split second, I thought that the two students who were jaywalking across Charter were going to become statistics underneath my front bumper.

Fortunately, nothing happened. As I got my first taste of winter getting soaked on the way to Ingraham Hall, I re-learned that walking around campus is not as safe as we think, especially now that winter is upon us. Most drivers from Madison know that navigating around campus requires extra caution, and even the most careful driver can make a mistake, especially in snow or sleet. Some extra care on all of our parts while walking, biking and riding a moped can make it a little safer on campus for the last few weeks of the semester.

That, and the guy with his cell phone on his moped should watch out for me when I'm checking my voicemail while jaywalking across Johnson.

Jeff Carnes ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in linguistics.