Nothing looks more out of place at the intersection of two suburban roads than a pair of storm troopers.  The second most out-of-place looking thing at the intersection of two suburban roads is anyone else. We can talk about low service frequencies, long walking distances from bus stops to buildings, and exposure to the elements as the worst part of serving suburban areas with transit, but in my experience feeling like I don’t belong takes the prize and it is most keenly felt at a traffic light. 

The image at left is a screen shot from a Youtube video by the folks at ThinkGeek.com ; this video about picking up trash on the highway has nothing to do with transit but it nicely introduces the phenomenon I call the shame phase, the time between touching the walk button to the moment one’s feet touch terra tutis on the other side.   There is a good reason these two look strange and it has nothing to do with their white plastic codpieces; the corner of Walmart Way and Big Box Blvd was designed for automobiles not human(oid)s, and people waiting there, seen by passing motorists, look as out of place as beach umbrellas on the moon.