What's an easily walkable distance to a business to you?

In My Humble Opinion
81

Back before I got a service-enabled smart phone, occasionally for exercise I would walk 2 miles both ways to a convenience store that sold crossword scratch off tickets, since they take a long time to play, and I would be halfway home before I finished them. I now have a smartphone I can surf while walking, but I rarely do so both because of the danger and also in Florida I don’t carry it while walking because it can get wet from the rain and sweat.

Lately I’ve been using it somewhat more often while walking because the weather is temperate, but during a lot of the year I run the risk of sweat dripping on it as I look at it. So during those months I only carry it if I am expecting a call.

82

I listen to music or an episode of dateline. That makes the walk more interesting.

83

A mile if we have the time, and aren’t expecting to lug anything back. Well, and if it’s not raining or too brutally hot.

A quarter mile if we need to carry much of anything. Maybe a bit longer if we had a cart to do the carrying.

There are some shopping centers just a mile away, which have a number of restaurants. Pre-COVID, we would often walk down there for lunch or dinner.

84

When I first saw this, I’d been picturing a nice walk on a warm afternoon…

But we always walk to our local Trader Joe’s, and just this evening I trudged there through deep snow, climbing over some hills left by snow plows at intersections. Got home, thought of this thread, checked on Google Maps… and it’s .7 miles, a 17 minute walk in the snow.

85

I used to go on long walks quite often, three or four hours of wandering, but for the last couple of years I’ve felt exhausted partway in, and reduced my walking time by quite a margin. This was only exacerbated by Lockdown Rules which stated I wasn’t allowed to go beyond a couple of blocks from my house.

Now those rules are eased back to normal again, I decided I need to lose the weight I gained, so started to exercise with a brisk walk around the block, a distance of 2.5km, taking around 25 minutes. And that re-energised me, put some elasticity back in my limbs, and I’m now back to long walks again. The other day it was a 12km round trip to the park and back, taking about three hours with rest stops.

Anywhozles, I am okay with 30 minute walks to work. Any more than that and I take public transport, for at least part of the way.

86

I’ve had a few near misses when walking through downtown Little Rock. You would think drivers would be aware that there might be pedestrians downtown but many of them just don’t pay attention. It’s become my custom to strike vehicles that get too close to me while crossing the street usually by pounding on a side panel or kicking it. I’ve only had one driver stop, I hit his SUV hard after he almost ran down my wife and I, but he decided it wasn’t wise to get out of his vehicle and we simply exchanged honks and fingers.

87

Here in San Antonio, about a mile. Each way.