Walking and driving

The funny thing about being driven around places is that we have rarely got a proper sense of where we are. The car journey induces a sense of dys-topia; unconnected places where we alight. Tracy and I have both had a sense of not really knowing where we are in Roanoke. So this morning we walked from the hotel to a coffe bar for breakfast [and that's a study in itself: all those people having breakfast -the place is open from 6.30am]. Then we walked to Evans House [the diocesan office building] and as a result we feel we have a much clearer sense of place.

It is worth noting how the car has reshaped USAmerican towns -even more so than in UK. It is almost impossible to find a significant bookshop or supermarket in the centre of Roanoke; there are a couple of malls on the fringes of the town. But if we were without a car in Roanoke and not close to one of those I don't know how we would live; perhaps we'd rely on the market that happens in the town square? So my question is how do those who don't have cars -presumably some disabled, some low income people are in this kind of position. I did see a bus but I don't have an impression that there are many of them around here.