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Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the sidewalk in North American English, the pavement in British English, and the footpath in Australian and New Zealand English. There are also footpaths not associated with thoroughfares; these include rural paths and urban short cuts.
Historically, walking has been the main way people get around. In the early use of the word, pedestrian meant a "professional walker", or somebody who held a record for speed or endurance. With the advent of cars, it started to be used as an opposite: somebody who is not riding or driving.
As walking is a healthy and sustainable mode of transport, there are efforts to make cities more walkable. For instance, by creating wider sidewalks, a pedestrian network, or restricting motor vehicles in city centres. Pedestrians are vulnerable and can be injured, for example when crossing thoroughfares. The rise of SUVs has decreased safety for pedestrians.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with the morphemes ped- ('foot') and -ian ('characteristic of'). This word is derived from the Latin term pedester ('going on foot') and was first used (in the English language) during the 18th century. In its early usage, it often referred to a "professional walker", or somebody who held a notable record for speed. When cars came into common use, pedestrian started to be used in its current meaning, as somebody who is not driving or riding. Nowadays a pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids.
It was originally used, and can still be used today, as an adjective meaning plain or dull. The word pedestrian may have been used in middle French in the Recueil des Croniques et Anchiennes Istories de la Grant Bretaigne.
Throughout history, walking has been the main way people get around. The first humans to migrate from Africa, about 60,000 years ago, walked. They walked along the coast of India to reach Australia. They walked across Asia to reach the Americas, and from Central Asia into Europe.
With the advent of cars at the beginning of the 20th century, the main story is that the cars took over, and "people chose the car", but there were many groups and movements that held on to walking as their preferred means of daily transport and some who organised to promote walking, and to counterbalance the widely-held view that often favoured cars, e.g. as related by Peter Norton.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, pedestrianism (walking) was non[clarification needed] a popular spectator sport, just as equestrianism (riding) still is in places. One of the most famous pedestrians of that period was Captain Robert Barclay Allardice, known as "The Celebrated Pedestrian", of Stonehaven in Scotland. His most impressive feat was to walk 1 mile (1.6 km) every hour for 1000 hours, which he achieved between 1 June and 12 July 1809. This captured many people's imagination, and around 10,000 people came to watch over the course of the event. During the rest of the 19th century, many people tried to repeat this feat, including Ada Anderson who developed it further and walked a half-mile (800 m) each quarter-hour over the 1000 hours.
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Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the sidewalk in North American English, the pavement in British English, and the footpath in Australian and New Zealand English. There are also footpaths not associated with thoroughfares; these include rural paths and urban short cuts.
Historically, walking has been the main way people get around. In the early use of the word, pedestrian meant a "professional walker", or somebody who held a record for speed or endurance. With the advent of cars, it started to be used as an opposite: somebody who is not riding or driving.
As walking is a healthy and sustainable mode of transport, there are efforts to make cities more walkable. For instance, by creating wider sidewalks, a pedestrian network, or restricting motor vehicles in city centres. Pedestrians are vulnerable and can be injured, for example when crossing thoroughfares. The rise of SUVs has decreased safety for pedestrians.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with the morphemes ped- ('foot') and -ian ('characteristic of'). This word is derived from the Latin term pedester ('going on foot') and was first used (in the English language) during the 18th century. In its early usage, it often referred to a "professional walker", or somebody who held a notable record for speed. When cars came into common use, pedestrian started to be used in its current meaning, as somebody who is not driving or riding. Nowadays a pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids.
It was originally used, and can still be used today, as an adjective meaning plain or dull. The word pedestrian may have been used in middle French in the Recueil des Croniques et Anchiennes Istories de la Grant Bretaigne.
Throughout history, walking has been the main way people get around. The first humans to migrate from Africa, about 60,000 years ago, walked. They walked along the coast of India to reach Australia. They walked across Asia to reach the Americas, and from Central Asia into Europe.
With the advent of cars at the beginning of the 20th century, the main story is that the cars took over, and "people chose the car", but there were many groups and movements that held on to walking as their preferred means of daily transport and some who organised to promote walking, and to counterbalance the widely-held view that often favoured cars, e.g. as related by Peter Norton.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, pedestrianism (walking) was non[clarification needed] a popular spectator sport, just as equestrianism (riding) still is in places. One of the most famous pedestrians of that period was Captain Robert Barclay Allardice, known as "The Celebrated Pedestrian", of Stonehaven in Scotland. His most impressive feat was to walk 1 mile (1.6 km) every hour for 1000 hours, which he achieved between 1 June and 12 July 1809. This captured many people's imagination, and around 10,000 people came to watch over the course of the event. During the rest of the 19th century, many people tried to repeat this feat, including Ada Anderson who developed it further and walked a half-mile (800 m) each quarter-hour over the 1000 hours.