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Relative risk: rioters versus cars

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A few days ago while on my way to work in Dhaka, students had blockaded the main road and were facing off against the riot police. To get to the office, I needed to cross the street and walk up it a little way to the lake, where I could then detour around the situation. The sidewalk was packed with spectators; there was a sense of suspense in the air. Unable to resist the image, I marched up the empty street over broken glass with my dog, between the students and the police. A little later the students began throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails. That evening, I stood at the sidewalk facing the now “normal” street. The steady flow of cars made crossing virtually impossible. Finally a young man came over to me, signalled to the vehicles to stop, and guided me across. People accuse me of being crazy for deliberately putting myself in the way of danger in the morning, but what am I to do under everyday circumstances? Continue campaigning for carfree cities, of course!