A recently published list cites the 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians crossing busy streets. Of course, for those of us who are slowing down in our senior years, the danger can be considerably higher on any city street.

Remember the scene in Urban Cowboy when Ratso Rizzo was almost hit by a NYC taxi? He yelled, “Hey, I’m walkin’ here!” That’s what happened to this writer when crossing a busy street recently in Las Vegas.

I was in a marked crosswalk and walking legally with the red light, but was hit by a taxi. For some reason, the already-stopped driver decided to back away from the crosswalk, and the taxi’s rear end slammed into me and knocked me down.

Fortunately, it was just a bump, resulting only in a bruised butt, elbow and arm. The lesson of this story is that pedestrians crossing busy city streets, especially slowed-down seniors, should be totally aware of what’s happening in all directions. They should stay in marked crossing lanes, and if wandering at night, wear brightly-colored or reflective clothing.

According to a report by Transportation for America, four of the top 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians are all in Florida. Inattention by both drivers and walkers is the main cause, and with cell phone talk and texting now part of normal behavior, the problem has escalated.

The worst cities, according to the report, are:    Orlando/Kissimmee, Tampa/St. Pete, Jacksonville, Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano, all in Florida. The others include: Riverside/San Bernardino CA, Las Vegas NV, Memphis TN, Phoenix AZ, and Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth TX.