The Perils of Walking in Connecticut

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Let’s begin with an anecdote. I was in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the passenger seat of my friend C.K.’s car, when we passed a woman walking by the side of the road. “This poor woman,” C.K. remarked. “I see her all the time. I think she has epilepsy.” “What makes you think that?” “Because I always see her walking to Trader Joe’s and back.” “Huh?” I tilted my head to one side like a spaniel, struggling to find some connection between epilepsy and walking to Trader Joe’s. Meanwhile, C.K. was looking at me like I was an idiot. “Well, obviously, if she has a seizure disorder, then she wouldn’t be able to get a driver’s license,” he explained in patient tones. It was on the tip of my tongue to say that I, too, usually walk to get groceries, but I decided to keep quiet. This was not the first time it had come to my attention that walking someplace one can easily reach by car is not considered a mainstream behavior in the state of Connecticut.