Wild Speculation

[rinue]

So apparently, city dwellers around the world are walking faster than they did ten years ago (see article). Most interpretations I've seen have to do with the fast pace of post-internet life, etc., etc.. I don't think that's it, though; I walk quickly even when I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere. My reason? Aggressive advertising. Billboards, hawkers, window displays. I don't hate ads in principle, but I hate that I have to devote so much energy to filtering them out. When you're walking quickly, the hawkers can't talk to you, and your peripheral vision narrows until the ads just disappear. When I'm walking fast, I'm not trying to get anywhere but off that street, with its damned visual noise. In parks and on residential side streets, I'm downright torpid.