Seems like more and more people across these United States are taking a shining to playing in the streets — or near enough. Consider:

- In New York City’s Times Square, folks lounge in a supposedly pedestrian-safe esplanade that sits practically in the middle of car-clogged Broadway. No guardrails or anything significant to prevent a typically-hurtling taxicab from plowing into the lunching crowd.

- In Southern California, exercisers have turned a traffic median in the city of Santa Monica into a de facto outdoor gym, with all-day stretching and workout sessions. Again, no apparent worry about the cars that are whizzing by; in fact, efforts are afoot to knock down the law banning the congregations.

Taking each incident separately, you could dismiss it as localized kookiness. Together, you have to wonder what’s compelling people to want to dance with the automobiles. Why encroach upon the road, even in such an indirect manner? Is this some sort of low-level backlash against the decades-old car-centric American urban grid?

It brings to mind a personal incident that has stuck with me, for some odd reason:

Close to a decade ago, I was driving into a brand-new gated community to see a friend. As I swung around the roadway just past the entrance, I had to slow down right away because a father and his little kids were in the middle of the narrow street, playing wiffleball. As they made way for my car to pass, the father shot me a dirty look — as though I were the one doing something wrong! I guess he felt that, since it was more-or-less a private road, he had the right-of-way over auto traffic. I drove on thinking that, as soon as I had gotten old enough to walk, the first rule that was drilled into my head was: “Don’t run out into the middle of the street”; and actually felt sorry for this guy’s children, as it seemed like he was setting them up for some future calamity.

In light of the cross-country examples above, I’m guessing this idea of roadway propriety has spread far and wide. Results pending.