Walking in Solitude
Turnbull often references being disregarded in his article “Handheld Time Machines.”. While walking a city one encounters an abundance of things, one of the most common being other humans; although other people surround the walker, they are often disregarded, or the most common phrase spoken by the passerby is a variation of “good day”. Disregarding means to overlook or ignore something; while to regard means to give attention or concern to something. Humans are very comfortable staying in their routines and focusing on their own lives. Often while walking the pedestrian is disregarded because not engaging is comfortable. If a person interacts or regards, then there’s a possibility that it might affect their day; interacting allows for the possibility of something difficult, so it is often easier for an individual to disregard the unknown around them. Solnit’s idea of a solitary urban walker is one that takes their opportunity to use a city; while walking as an urban walker, one will find themselves observing other people and their surrounding environment. Not walking to be regarded or disregarded, the solitary urban walker is content in their solitude.
