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Street Music: increases happiness and noise pollution in pedestrian commercial zones. Sugar Ban: increases the average lifespan of citizens in the pedestrian zone but decreases their happiness.

Pedestrian Zones and New Policies: activate three zone-specific policies for your city including Slow Driving: all roads in the pedestrian zone, except highways, get a speed limit of 20 miles/hour.

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Pedestrian Streets: let your citizens walk freely on pedestrian-only streets! Place them in your city like any other road and create new green city centers free of most vehicles and pollution.

GradeSaver, Web.YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. 'Ray Bradbury: Short Stories “The Pedestrian” Summary and Analysis'.

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Next Section 'The Murderer' Summary and Analysis Previous Section 'The Exiles' Summary and Analysis Buy Study Guide How To Cite in MLA Format Lauer, Caroline. What exactly does 'regressive tendencies' mean, and who has decided that walking means being regressive? Does our society resemble that of the pedestrian's, and if it does, is that a good or bad thing? Once again, Bradbury's stories prompt us to reflect on our surroundings and continue to be relevant despite a different temporal age. Thus Bradbury's story raises the question of, 'What does progress really mean? Is advancement, regardless of the consequences, a positive step in the right direction?'Īdditionally, this story highlights the dangers and 'slippery slope' of a government determining what is best for a group of people without their input. A roaming public that is out walking is much harder to control than one that is stationed in front of its television set. Additionally, the viewing screen is considered a way to distract the public and keep them under the watchful eye of the government. There is no room for human discretion and judgment in a world that is fully automated. Mead, even though he has not committed an offense. An automated police car is programmed to stop Mr. The story calls into question the idea of progress for the sake of progress. He is very easily identified as someone who is different. His lit up house is symbolic of his difference from the rest of society. Ostracizing him is another form of censorship. The police car, a representative of the powers in control, disapprove of his behavior, but the entire society disapproves as well. The act of ostracizing someone who is different than the rest of the group appears again, which is a common theme in Bradbury's stories. His behavior proposes an alternative activity that the government does not approve of, and this threatens their monopoly on control. He does not have a viewing screen in his house, which is expected of the members of this society. Mead's behavior is deemed threatening even though it is not hurting anyone - the powers in charge believe that his determination to walk every night could upset their social stability. Once again, Bradbury shows his skepticism of technology and 'progress' in 'The Pedestrian.' In this story, a popular pastime is viewed as regressive, outdated, and abnormal. Mead's behavior is completely atypical of the society in which he lives. En route, they pass his house, which is the only house that is lit up and inviting to the outside eye. His behavior is not acceptable in society - no one walks anymore and it is queer that he continues to do so as his primary hobby. The car informs him that he is being taken to a psychiatric center because of his regressive tendencies. Mead is filled with fear as he sits down in the cell-like backseat.

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Mead answers the question of employment by saying he is a writer, the police interpret his answer as 'unemployed.' They order him to enter the car despite his protests, and as he approaches he realizes there is no driver at all - the car is automated. After the election last year, the force was reduced from three cars to one because crime was ebbing and they were seen as unnecessary. This car is the only remaining police car in the area.

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He answers a series of questions about his life and family, and his answers are unsatisfactory to the police. On this particular evening, a police car stops him and orders him to put his hands up.

It is never said explicitly in the story, but it can be understood that he is the only, or one of the only, walker in society. He lives by himself - he has no wife, and so it is a tradition for him to walk every evening. He has never seen another person out walking during the many hours that he has strolled. Mead is the only pedestrian near his home. 'The Pedestrian' offers a glance into the future, where a man, Leonard Mead, goes for long walks every evening by himself.

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