An Anthology, Edited by Stephan Wehner
Wandering Soliton Publications
www.trafficlife.com
2004

Reviewed by: Jessi Hafer

I’ve heard people say, “The only thing the government should pay for is the roads.” If you’ve ever wondered, even briefly, “Well, why should the government even pay for the roads?” then you should read Traffic Life: Passionate Tales and Exit Strategies.

The answers to the question of whether or not public monies should fund the roads are complicated, beyond the scope of this review and even beyond the scope of this anthology. Instead, Traffic Life examines assumptions of the road and the issues of bicycling, pedestrianism, mass transit, and automobiles (the bad guys of the collection: expensive, isolating, nature-ravaging, noisy, and people-killing) through the art of the book’s 41 contributors. The haiku, photos, photos of sculptures and paintings, cartoons, poems, short works of fiction, and essays (there’s even sheet music for an instrumental entitled “Roadkill.”) provide the reader eclectic approaches and plenty of viewpoints.

As with any anthology, certain pieces spoke to me more than others. One of my favorites is Ray Bradbury’s (Fahrenheit 451) “The Pedestrian,” a captivating, futuristic piece about a lone pedestrian in 2053. One particularly informative piece is “Documentation: Declaration of the Right to Walk and Roll,” by WALK Austin. Once the inherent smugness of the format (fashioned after the Declaration of Independence) wears away, the reader confronts some compelling conclusions on what the automobile has done to society and those who would rather walk in it: “they [pedestrians] have not been considered equals to people driving vehicles, whose turning radius, speed, and freedom from even minor delays have been considered paramount.” Ugh! I can just hear someone replying, “Well, that’s because there are more drivers than pedestrians,” without even considering why that is or when it became that way or if that’s even true in all places! Take, for instance, “Documentation: The Right of Way Manifesto,” by Right of Way, focused on the disenfranchised majority of pedestrians in New York City requesting an end to lawless driver behaviors.

There’s no way around it: the pieces about bicycle accidents make me sad. However, these pieces are few and respectfully done. One that was actually fun is the delightfully rhythmic “Buscrunch,” by Dean Wirth.

The book gives its readers an informative and, at times, fun trip. In general, the book is not delicate in its scolding, so I worry that some people that really should read the book would quickly become too defensive (road rage?) to find the book to be persuasive or enjoyable. However, those of us who practice or see the value of alternative ways of getting around will find our viewpoints augmented with the variety and quality of information in this anthology. Even if you stay in your car, Traffic Life may change the way your drive a little and remind you that mobility is for everyone.