Trip #151 Wing Way, Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh took place on June 4, 2018, and was published on June 25, 2018.
Doing something outside of our comfort zone can be challenging. It can make us nervous and anxious and bring up all sorts of unpleasant feelings. Case in point, on this trip to Wing Way in Marshall-Shadeland, I was accompanied by Emily Persico from GASP (Group Against Smog & Pollution). Emily was interviewing me about public stairs as a form of environmentally friendly transportation, but it wasn’t our conversation that was making my stomach flip-flop but because the interview was for a PODCAST! URGH! I was so scared! In the days leading up to our visit, I ran through a dozen reasons why this was going to be a disaster – my Rhode Island accent, my stuffy nose, my little verbal tics and filler words – but, in the end, I packed those fears away, walked up the stairs, and started talking. And you know what? It was a fun and interesting experience despite all my fears of what I might sound like. Sometimes, making yourself cross the threshold is the hardest thing.
Field Notes: Wing Way is a very cool flight that combines stairs and walkways – and in the hour I was there with Emily from GASP (Group Against Smog and Pollution) there were a good 5-6 people that walked up/down! It’s a nice spot.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
