Where you have cars and pedestrians, you have police officers. I guess a conversation about America's fixation on automobiles wouldn't be complete without at least one photo of police officers doing their duty. I stumbed into this scene during a visit late last summer to north Berkeley. It took me a while to sort out what was happening.When I first came upon the scene there were four motorcycle policemen lined up on this side street. One by one they gunned their engines and sped into Solano Avenue, a major thoroughfare with shops lining both sides of the street. You see one of those officers in the distance wheeling his motorcycle through the intersection as these two fellows stood alert for their opportunity to go into action.And what exactly were they doing? It seems a fellow officer dressed in civilian clothes was crossing the street to the immediate left. You will note the two officers have their heads turned in that direction. The man used the crosswalk, which in California is hallowed ground. If you are in the crosswalk, all vehicles must come to a halt. The moment a car failed to stop, speeding past this intersection, one of the officers would take off after him and issue a citation. The man working with them, simply crossed the street, waited a few moments before turning around and crossing again. These police officers were very busy men, indeed!Pedestrians appreciate the effort, no doubt. Drivers are perhaps less enthusiastic, though such experiences surely make them safer drivers. We love our cars, but have, eternally, a love/hate relationship with the police... ;-)
