It has saddened me in recent weeks to hear Choate students described as “rude” and “disrespectful” by several residents of Wallingford. You can guess the issue: pedestrian crossings on Christian St. and No. Elm St. I think we sometimes forget that vehicle operators are also busy people, often rushing themselves to his/her next appointment. By law (and common sense!) they must stop for all of us crossing these busy thoroughfares, but I’m convinced that all drivers would welcome that wave of the hand “thank-you” that Dean Ford encouraged as an acknowledgement of their patience and what many of them regard as a courtesy. The lifting of an arm and a hand wave take no time, and yet the positive power of that action is immense. So I believe together, with a little forethought, we can turn adjectives like rude and disrespectful into “friendly” and “polite.” I encourage you to put your best foot forward! Thank you.
