The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing Americans car-free zones don’t need to exist.
Every day, about 90 Americans die because of car crashes.
Every day, about zero Americans die because of peanut allergies.
You might see a few parents groan or roll their eyes about peanut restrictions, but they go along with the edicts. I’m a parent, I get the urge to protect your kids. But catastrophizing the threat of allergies is not helping.
There are practical and immediate steps to create car-free zones. Pedestrian plazas, open street events, bicycle highways, and outdoor dining (maybe even with a bowl of peanuts).
Our parenting instincts went a bit too far in recent years. Let’s just admit it, laugh at ourselves, and make some meaningful change.