The dangers of crossing Lake Shore Drive on foot

By Jon Cohn | Community Contributor

When you try to cross Lake Shore Drive (LSD) on foot at Monroe St., Jackson Blvd. or Congress Pkwy., the long wait at the light for your turn makes you feel a combination of anxious excitement and breathless anticipation.

Finally when it is your turn, the nerves and the rapid heartbeat of excitement while traversing LSD lies somewhere between jumping from an airplane at 10,000 feet and riding a motorcycle.  Weaving in and out of impatient pedestrians, while battling through crowds, makes the relief and exhilaration of finally getting to the other side almost tangible. It’s like a feeling of true accomplishment.

I spent some time at a few of these busy intersections recently on a particularly crowded weekend. Here is a sampling of what I saw, which many of our New Eastside residents are all too familiar with: