Stop, Look, and Perform!

May 1, 2014 3:16 PM

A performance art piece called Crossings has been created by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Professor, Ann Basting, to encourage driver awareness of pedestrians. via
posted by agatha_magatha (9 comments total)

“We originally thought we would link our arms like a human guardrail but that didn’t really work out too well, as we found out in St. Francis,” Kozinsky says. He says drivers kept trying to drive through to make a right or left turn.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 3:47 PM on May 1, 2014

Nice! I knew Anne growing up. She previously received recognition for her project TimeSlips, which uses storytelling as a means to combat/offset the effects of memory loss, and the related Forget Memory blog and book, also relating to dementia. Interview. (She has been called "a leader in promoting creative engagement for persons with memory loss.")

Her connection with our hometown, Janesville, led her husband to create the documentary film As Goes Janesville, focusing on the effects of the closure of our GM plant. It accidentally garnered a small role in the recall campaign against Scott Walker as well as Paul Ryan's Vice Presidential run.

As to Milwaukee, it ranks highly on both bicycle-friendly and pedestrian-friendly cities, and the city has recently expanded its off-street transportation with the Hank Aaron State Trail, most of it in the former industrial area known as the Menomonee Valley, now undergoing a sustainability transformation.
posted by dhartung at 3:51 PM on May 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

As a pedestrian who is way too often thisclose to getting run over by a car or a cyclist, I am all for this piece.

Heels before wheels.
posted by divabat at 4:12 PM on May 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

This great because I was hit by a truck today. I had just got a new haircut, then 5 minutes later I get hit by a truck and luckily I only break my wrist. Scaphoid fracture. He was doing the annoying inching into the intersection to turn/go thing everyone here does. And I saw it all happen in slow motion. It didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would.
posted by awesomelyglorious at 4:52 PM on May 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

If only you hadn't gotten that haircut.
posted by angerbot at 5:05 PM on May 1, 2014

I am intrigued by the role sea shanties play in this.
posted by ChuraChura at 5:13 PM on May 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

As I was a driving down St. Francis Street
A Crossing of walkers I chanced for to meet

I did not resent them I am not the type
Though silly they looked with their PVC pipe

I came to a stop as if at a red light
I didn't mean to give them a fright

Way hey slow the car down
Give me some time to slow the car down
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:00 PM on May 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Please come to Santa Monica.

Heels before wheels.

Lovelovelove.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:29 PM on May 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Heels before wheels.

This sounds like a wrestling/murderball event.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:15 AM on May 2, 2014