Crosswalks in NYC

Crossing the street in NYC is a risk-filled adventure.  Cabs, trucks, cars, bicycles, emergency vehicles, other pedestrians all pose obstacles to a safe crossing. 

Just imagine if you could not see.

Fortunately, at a few intersections in the city, the crosswalks have audio cues for pedestrians who cannot see.  Some audio cues are noises signalling when it is safe to cross.  We found one intersection near our building with a recorded voice that tells it is safe to cross.  Check it out.

Aside from the obvious benefit of helping all New Yorkers cross the street, what we like about the audio recording is the authentic New York accent of the speaker.  That authenticity is comforting for a New Yorker.  

After hearing the recording a few times, we wondered about asking other New Yorkers to lend their voices to crosswalk recordings. Here are a few of the New Yorkers that came to mind:

• Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman):  "The walk sign is on.  Hoowah!"
• Donald Trump:  "The walk sign is on and it's HUGE!"
• Christopher Walken (Bruce Dickinson):  "The walk sign is on.  What this intersection needs is more cowbell."
• Robert DeNiro:  "The walk sign is on but for just a little bit."
• Woody Allen:  "The walk sign is on, but what if some cabbie isn't paying attention and you get run over?". 
• Al Pacino (Donnie Brasco):  "The walk sign is on.  Fuggedabouttit."
• Hillary Clinton:  "The walk sign is on and your taxes will be lowered if you are middle-class."
• Steve Martin:  "The walk sign is so walk like an Egyptian."
• Tina Fey:  "The walk sign is on and I can see New Jersey from my apartment." 
• Lady Gaga:  "The walk sign is on.  You cross the street however you want."
• Jay-Z:  "The walk sign is on but you should be with me and Beyonce in my dope limousine"  
• Sylvester Stallone:  "[Unintelligible]"
• Steven Tyler:  "WALK THIS WAY!"