From Day 1 Group 4 was destined for epic adventure. The six of us girls have had a grand time on our walkabouts and I wouldn't trade our experiences for those of any other group. I have made lifelong friends and learned a few very valuable lessons, one of which I will share with you now.
There are a few things that make a person feel safe in a city. The first is a theory known as "eyes on the street" which basically means that having more people with more eyes to see what's going on makes a person feel safer. I would submit that the second is the judgment we make about the type of people on the road.
Our first walkabout involved a trip to Pioneer Park for the Farmer's Market. If there's one thing you should know about me, it would be that I have absolutely NO sense of direction. So it's really no surprise that we rode Trax all the way to the end of the line when we should have gotten off at the Gateway. Due to this unfortunate mistake, we were able to experience the back roads. For a while, there was not a person in sight. The atmosphere was eerily quiet. As we drew closer to our destination, we started to see a few scattered individuals who appeared to have been removed from their typical home (Pioneer Park). However, in this case, having more people on the road did not make us feel any more secure. So the six of us stuck together and decided to pick up the pace. Upon arrival at the Farmer's Market, we immediately felt safer due to the crowds of people who appeared to belong to more middle class walks of life. The atmosphere was completely changed by the increase in the number of people and the type of people we found ourselves surrounded by.
Our next walkabout was dramatically different. This time we experienced the tranquility of the quiet atmosphere surrounding the pristine beauty of the Salt Lake temple and its immaculate gardens. A family taking wedding pictures and a few tourists snapping photos all contributed to our feelings of comfort and safety.
On our third adventure, we made a trip to the giant Wells Fargo building that towers over downtown. Personally, Gallivan Center has never been my favorite Trax stop because of all the panhandling and smoking that goes on. Leaving all that behind, we rode the elevator all the way to the top of the Wells Fargo building. The building was spotless and silent. The few individuals we saw inside were business people whose attire demanded respect. I never felt as if my safety was compromised.
The People's Freeway Neighborhood provided another challenge as far as directions are concerned. We needed a Sandy train, but tried to switch a stop too early (again, my fault). On the short walk from the Library to Gallivan Plaza we were approached by Austin who tried to give us a spa deal. His appearance was quite neat and he was very friendly. Though we may have found him slightly annoying in his persistence, we didn't feel threatened by him. We made it to the Ballpark stop eventually. Wandering around, wondering if we were in the right spot, we followed a guy gettin' his swag on, cussin' up a storm, and rappin' down the street. Puzzled, we smiled and moved on Once we arrived at the streets behind the Salt Lake Bees stadium, the traffic significantly lessened and the types of individuals that approached us differed. Our money was no longer being used to make ourselves beautiful, it was benefiting someone who supposedly had none and was desperate to have it.
People make a city. The number and kind of people determine the atmosphere of different areas within the city. As a result of our walkabouts, I am more aware of this when walking around Salt Lake. Watch how people make you feel the next time you're out and about.
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