Like many of my UC Berkeley peers, I jaywalk often. I did, at least, until I watched a city bus tear through Durant Avenue just a few feet away from me while speedwalking to my 9:30 a.m. seminar. I was forced to consider: Why was I this pressed for time?
When I first learned about Berkeley Time after years of showing up late to nearly all of my first period classes, I was thrilled. A school that ran on my own sense of time — or lack thereof — a school in which it was acceptable, even normal, to show up after the hour to classes, club meetings and dinner dates.
Besides, the campus is built for jaywalking students looking to save a minute or two. Are we kidding? Surrounded by a constant crowd of fellow jaywalkers, finicky lights and an inconsistent stream of cars, I rarely find myself able to resist the temptation of jaywalking…