Fowl Play Not Suspected

While I was walking through Berwyn while I was visiting my grandparents, I managed to find myself at North Riverside Park. I walked on the path until i found a bench.

One of the things I noticed about two individuals was the things they brought with them to the park. One was a girl walking her dog which was interesting since you weren’t supposed to have animals at this park. And the other was a group of three boys all with lacrosse sticks walking towards the front of the park.

1:12 pm

Sitting on a park bench at North Riverside Park I hear a fire truck drive past and the splashing of the fountain on the pond.

1:17 pm

Geese make noises in front of me as they eat the corn off the ground. The geese push away the mallard ducks. Two male mallards pull at each others neck feathers.

A woman in sweatpants sits at the edge of the pond, gets up and walks to the playground.

1:20 pm

A man walks along the other side of the pond listening to music.

He walks towards my direction looking down at his phone.

1:26 pm

A mom and son come over by me to look at the geese and ducks. There is indistinct chatter.

1:28 pm

A young girl is taking Quinceanera pictures at the park.

The geese are leaving poop everywhere.

1:30 pm

Another fire truck passes. It is louder this time.

The ducks are fighting again. Pulling feathers from each other.

1:32 pm

There is a bully. A mallard that constantly pecks at other mallards.

1:34 pm

I found I am a bird whisperer.

A girl walks her dog behind me. The geese scatter.

1:36 pm

A group of boys walk past with lacrosse sticks.

1:39 pm

There are a ton of feathers on the ground now from the brawls.

1:41 pm

Water splashed on my face. At least I hope it was water.

The geese are flapping their wings. They are very powerful.

1:43 pm

The geese are talking to each other, a big group of them come my direction.

1:44 pm

A group of three people have walked near me. They have a picnic blanket and backpacks. The guy looks to have a camera, as if they were going to do a photo shoot. I make eye contact with one of them.

1:47 pm

The Quinceanera girl has moved across the pond. Still taking pictures.

1:48 pm

I notice the group of three has a baby with them.

The geese are very vocal.

1:49 pm

I am surrounded by geese. I am slightly frightened that they may bite me. They are all around me.

1:51 pm

The group of three are taking pictures of the child on the blanket. The geese have moved all around them, hindering their ability to take pictures.

1:53 pm

The ducks are being attacked by the geese. It’s like a war out here. Giant gobs of feathers scatter the ground.

I am getting hungry.

1:56 pm

There are ducks in the pond cleaning themselves by putting their heads under the water and back up.

The battle in front of me for the corn continues.

1:57 pm

Many of the mallards have given up and left.

1:58 pm

People ride their bikes on the trail behind me.

The water towards the base of the fountain looks red, almost muddy.

2:00 pm

The battlefield is almost empty.

2:01 pm

Two different people ride past me on their bikes. They stop to look and take a picture of the geese. Then they continue riding, mimicking the geese noises.

2:03 pm

As the ducks and geese leave i get ready to leave as well. But before I even get the chance to think about getting up, the war continues. The geese attack the ducks once more.

2:05 pm

I break up a fight between two mallards.

2:07 pm

Two girls are swinging from a branch on a tree across the pond. I hope they fall in.

2:08 pm

The same girls are throwing rocks in the pond, they could be fined.

2:09 pm

I look at the fountain again to see a rainbow at the base of the fountain.

2:10 pm

I decide to leave the park and the West Side Story happening between the geese and the mallards. Time to go home.

According to Solnit in “Walking after midnight,” how has gender affected the ability to walk in the city? How has gender affected the experience of walking in the city? What issues affect the perception and treatment of walkers in the city?

Gender has affected the ability to walk in the city. There is no way that a woman would go out late at night to walk around by herself and feel safe. From Solnit’s “Walking after Midnight” it shows how even in the 1870’s woman couldn’t walk around at night by themselves OR with a man without being suspected of prostitution. When I want to go walk through the city I will bring pepper spray and a button that makes a loud noise when pressed. I use these for protection. I do not think a male would carry these things around with him in broad day light like I do. I keep these on me no matter what time of day because of the way woman are treated. It makes walking not as fun as it should be. It keeps this little spot in the back of my mind saying “look behind you” and “you can’t trust everyone”. It makes walking not fun. Especially in Solnit’s writing she talks about women walking at specific times in the day and how “merely walking about in the wrong time or place could put a woman under suspicion and the law allowed any woman so accused or suspected to be arrested ( for prostitution ).” This affects the perception and treatment of walkers in the city by hindering their ability to do what they feel with out their emotions getting in the way at some point.