The Chime of Chim-Chimineys and the Right of Priorities

To celebrate, commemorate, exclaimerate with delight my recent move to Brussels – the move to Brussels – I present a portrait from above and below. It is an ambitious attempt to steel a glance at this diverse and prismatic city. So here we are, of chimneys and priorities.

----------

The Chime of Chim-Chimineys

  

Florida, my home state, is not particularly renown for all that chimney jazz. If you do catch sight of one, its exterior is likely some chunky, rectangular protrusion entirely void of character or charm. Those made of brick are tolerable. Those of painted cement, nauseating. The blatant impracticality is another reason for Florida's chimney few. Average temperatures in the “mild” to “blistering” do not exactly soot the needs of homeowners.

So upon first moving to Brussels in 2010, I became particularly enchanted by rooftops, rooflines, and roofscapes. And with each new design encountered, I became increasingly jaunty. More so than any fiddler on a...

My return to Belgium after a year's absence has not extinguished this fascination. If anything, my preoccupation with chimneys has – for lack of better words – “gone through the roof.”

Perhaps it is my orientation to look up. Perhaps it is my preoccupation with things different, things new, things open (but also “shingle”) minded. Nevertheless, I consider a stroll with neck-craned-upwards as prime time to recharge.

These rooftop fancifuls break from that rectangular hum-drum of which I spoke. The material and shape of their construction beckon the imagination, calling for recognition of sprightly skyline personalities – snappy, snarky, angsty, animated – dressed in a diverse assortment of hats and scarves, or (my favorite) in the nude.

Diversity of the skyline is, perhaps, a testament to the diverse character of the city. A lens from which to view Brussels as playful and enchanting. A city made all the more alive.

So leave your cookie-cutter, pre-fab designs! And come visit me as we chim-chiminey our way through the city.

----------

Priority of the Right

From steel on high, let us turn now to steel on low. Brussels, steel on wheels.

As center of the European Union, it is no wonder why Brussels is the crossroads of diversity. Of people, customs, goals, and – unquestionably – of driving styles. So diverse, drivers seem unable to communicate except by honk, finger, or exclamatory raising of one or both hands. So diverse, attempts to unify driving styles would render one more tired than a set of Goodyears.

I am all for diversity, and I have great appreciation for the advantages and opportunities that such conditions create. But, you need only lay foot on a crosswalk to experience the :::ahem::: diverse discomforts of such colorful auto havoc. I have grown, therefore, a slight distaste for certain carbohydrates. For you see, I like walking. And in this particular environment, that comes with a few drawbacks. Unless, of course, you enjoy the taste of pavement.

While styles may differ, still there exist forces with enough engine power to unite such a chaotic and unforgiving ocean of steel, rubber, fuel, and gloveboxes. A shared auto-camaraderie, if you will:

1. their sorta, kinda, occasional adherence to what is known as “priority of the right” or “priority to the right”

and when exercising said "priority of the right" –

2. their “when I feel like it” or “when I remember to do it” attitude towards pedestrians in the crosswalk – in other words, their disregard for "the priority of the pedestrian" 

a signal that "toots" to a different tune, nyc 2012

This “priority of the right” rule is new to me. And remains to be new, even after nearly two years of exposure. Since it does not exist in America – at least to my knowledge – here is an explanation in brief:

Imagine a four-way intersection. In the US, you would generally encounter stop signs – be they two or four in number. The person who arrives at the stop sign first is thus granted priority. The other cars follow in subsequent order of arrival. In short, first come first served. IF you do not have a sign indicating that you must stop – you, without said sign, are allowed priority, whereas the others with sign must wait in envy for you to saunter through, unabashed.

Someone approaching from the right, therefore, must yield to you, if

a) they happen to have a stop sign and you don't
or
b) they arrived at the four-way stop sign after you.

BUT, should you be in a country operating in the “right of way” model, the person approaching from the right has priority. Hence, the name. Thus, drivers must yield to cars that approach from the right – regardless of who arrived at the intersection first. There are exceptions – something about triangle markers – but we need not involve geometric shapes in this discussion.

Notice the absence of stop signs altogether.
The green car has priority to turn in any direction it so chooses.
The blue car must yield. If it remembers to, that is. 

The main purpose of such a model is to facilitate circulation while decreasing the number of traffic lights. In other words, force the stream of traffic to yield to new comers, thus improving circulation of those coming from subsidiary roads on the right. In more colloquial terms, freak out your passenger by stopping just short of collision with the car that has every “right” to pull out in front of you (inevitably, last minute) from the right. Makes for a delightful aerobic exercise, this heart-palpitating response to thoughts of being the next t-bone'd special. Also makes for more lively car conversation, at that.

But it is the threat to pedestrians with which I take issue. As a result of this “priority of the right,” drivers with said priority – in their effort to take full advantage of the law – tend to crane their necks left, in the direction of oncoming cars. They might slow down to acknowledge the merger with said auto traffic, but too often pay little or no mind to those on foot. Which leaves the pedestrian in a pickle.

Instead of looking right, at the potential for pedestrians, or even yielding to them altogether, drivers seem more focused on their auto-equivalents. Pedestrians are left without the right to cross, as is their priority – that is, strictly speaking of those intersections where bands of black and white clearly mark a crosswalk and where there is no light or signal instructing when to cross.

So what does all this traffic jargon mean? It is made clear by experience that the “priority of the pedestrian” is not the practiced norm, which therein puts me – a driver and pedestrian – at a personal cross-roads. The advantage for drivers is in plain view, but so is the disadvantage to non-drivers. So who has priority now?

Given that “the priority of the right” is so openly embraced by drivers, I think it within reason to suggest that public programs propel “the priority of the pedestrian” to the forefront of state, um, priorities. How might they do this? My first and only recommendation is for drivers – repeat offenders who ignore said "priority of the pedestrian" – be publicly announced via photo jumbo-tron at De Brouckere and Place Flagey. Yes, let guilt and self-reproach do all the work. Like a sort of auto-correct, no?

Granted, the “stop” sign in America is not without fault, for one often witnesses the same dismissal of pedestrians even in the midst of blazing red signage. Yet, between these two driving cultures, there is still a stark contrast with the speed and voracity at which drivers approach an intersection. The "priority of the right” seems to be interpreted as a green light for cars to whiz and whirl through intersections, since the responsibility to stop is left to the driver, well, to the left.

So I say to ye diverse drivers – be they of Brussels or worldwide – in your effort to practice "the priority of the right," please do the way of right. Please pay mind to the very precious, very people-y reasons why it is not a good idea to fly through intersections in your effort to claim “priority” and, likewise, why it is a good idea to pay mind to your right when exercising your right.

Physics proves in your favor – that you have priority by virtue of your size, strength, and potential to inflict irreparable damage. But, remember the pedestrian when making your next turn, right?

Thanks and happy honking!