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This paper examines stories about walking that are embedded in our culture. The popular culture sources for the stories are mainly comic strips and cartoons, with some news articles, songs and walks from literature and life. The aim is to open an avenue that may lead toward answers to the question, ‘Which historical and current images could be useful for a new culture of walking?’ The first section looks at the image of walking by examining sources that fit four stories: walking is dangerous, walking is hard work, walking is silly, and walking is pedestrian. The second section looks at the sources related to the subjugation of pedestrians to traffic controls. The conclusion is that there are a number of positive messages to be found in these sources that can help promote a new walking culture. These messages include that walking can be heroic and full of possibility; that it promotes health, reduces stress and fits into a larger ‘slow ’ movement; that it is environmentally sound; that it is an opportunity for performance art and humor, or for mindfulness; that two people taking a walk can have a good talk; and that walking can only get easier with the advent of new information technologies. There are also negative messages, and those were found especially in the sources that dealt with traffic control. The negative effects of pedestrian regulation are in direct opposition to the positive messages found. The biggest challenge to developing a new culture of walking will be the difficulty of overcoming these negative effects