The Sidewalk Struggle

Most crucial for the Flaneur is his pedestrian right of way...

In recent years there has been considerable public controversy over the enforcement of public order on the public sidewalks of central Berkeley. Ah yes, the operative word here is "public", a word like the word "liberty". Without care, such words lead easily to political rhetoric, something which I pledge to keep to a minimum.
Essentially, the forums and the law that resulted were concerned with how the homeless and other problematic types behave on the sidewalks of various business districts. These laws against yelling, lying down, sitting, semi-lodging, defecating, and aggressive pan-handling were apparently needed to add the specificity now required to similar laws which are already on the books. Much fanfare was emitted from the old crony in the mayor's office about the urgent need to keep sidewalks clear.
This bit of laughable hypocrisy seems especially galling from the old newspaper thief in light of unbridled abuse of the right to clear sidewalks not only by the private sector but by the city under his watch. Huge, incredibly intrusive, parking meter pay-here machines now jut three feet into sidewalks along Bancroft. When people stand in front of and puzzle over them they effectively block the busy sidewalks. Most appallingly, the city didn't even bother to remove the poles of the old decapitated parking meters. They just capped them and left them there for people to negotiate around and bump into.
Downtown the city added bike racks, of wavy tubular steel, that not only fully extend into footpath but, when bikes are added, block it entirely. People who dismiss my case as being comprised of trivialities may one day experience additional ache or difficulty walking and be expected to speak from the other side of their faces at said time.
These bike barricades add to the "advanced" obstacle course and traffic death race that is downtown Berkeley today. The motorists not only risk your life by cutting you off on right turns into your crosswalk, they think absolutely nothing of entirely blocking them to force pedestrians out into traffic to cross the street. Oh and if a motorist happens to hit you outside the crosswalk, it is entirely your fault. I was apprised of this by a Berkeley cop after I was knocked down in front of the California Theater in 2005.
The motorized police force doesn't seem to notice much pedestrian endangerment as it occurs, or if they they do, to mind it very much. Recently, they have given out more tickets for jay-walking and have lowered the fine for riding a bicycle on the sidewalk. Police were not writing them because they were said to considered them to be too high. Then you get this lip service from elected officials and campus what-nots, who drove to work that day, along the lines of "if we could only get more people to walk," by which they mean other people.

Back on the sidewalk, the second issue is the tolerance, not to say bias, for the businesses who block the sidewalks, who privatize them for their commercial hustles. For example, I start with perhaps the most disgusting and just about the closest to my home--the Wells Fargo bank. To see it at its most heinous one should visit it around noon in late September. Tables fronted by street hustlers in white shirts and ties use free pizza grab students and con them into signing up for credit cards. Any sleazy enterprise that wishes to set up a table there and pay Wells Fargo is welcome to ply their trade standing directly in people's way. This is in addition to the constant stream of ATM users there, two huge filthy concrete trash receptacles, and always, always, several large plastic rubbish cans on wheels. Try to walk by sometime when the new students hoards are spawning through and the hustlers with the clip-boards are pushing for eye contact and a greeting.

Like the occupation of oil-rich foreign countries, apparently any shitty grab of the public domain is deemed urgent and necessary in petroleum-based post-late capitalism. Restaurants want to set up tables covering more than half the walk? Why that's redolent of sales tax!

Naturally the biggest most imperious business in town, the University, would be most flagrant. It shows disregard for individuals' right of way, the right to have it be kept clear and clean of the effluvia of greasy hustles, and the right to be free of damned vehicles on the sidewalk. Take a look for example at the sidewalk opposite what is arguably one of Berkeley best structures, the First Congregational Church complex (FCC). This would be Dana street between Durant and Channing Way. The University uses it's sidewalk as a port of excretion for it's massive unsustainable residential towers which fill the entire Eastern side of that block. They have at least two large metal dumpsters at least half and often entirely on the public sidewalk on Dana. Add to this big plastic cans on wheels on the right of way. And when the parking spots get filled, there are often up to two or three vehicles parked on the sidewalk. A general squalor prevails around all these blockages, usually including piles of detritus on the ground. Across the street people congregate at FCC not only for regular worship and church affairs, but concerts and current event forums. It's grounds are well-looked after and several flowering trees thrive despite the busy street traffic nearby. The tower clock has been repaired as well. If only the University would be such a good neighbor, behaving and cleaning up after itself.

What we have seen is the extreme measures the University is willing to take to assert its presumed sovereignty over Piedmont Avenue sidewalks in order to punish the tree-sitters and their supporters. That topic is still to be addressed in this journal, but it will be.
What I don't see is the University taking responsibility for the toxic effects it attempts to externalize.
In their grand disregard for the world's exhaustion, academic elites are concerned with other elites, those to whom others serve meals and for whom others clean up messes.