In the first paragraph of Bradbury's short story "The Pedestrian," the reader learns that the story is set at eight o'clock in the evening on a misty, cold November night in the year 2053 AD. In addition to this futuristic setting, the narrator offers a description of the bleak environment by depicting a desolate, empty city as the protagonist, Mr. Leonard Mead, begins walking down the deserted sidewalks on his own. The narrator proceeds to describe the dimly lit homes Leonard Mead passes on his evening stroll, which Bradbury likens to walking through a graveyard.

As Leonard Mead passes by the homes, all he can see is the faint images of people glued to their televisions while their bodies resemble gray phantoms through the windows. The pedestrian can also hear the slight murmur of chatter behind the windows of the "tomb-like" buildings as he continues his stroll.

Bradbury's description of the futuristic setting is rather dystopian and foreboding. There are no flying cars or bustling city streets on the November evening, and Leonard Mead is completely alone in the seemingly deserted city. The cold weather and barren streets contribute an ominous mood to the story, which foreshadows Leonard's arrest. Unlike the vast majority of the population, Leonard Mead enjoys the natural air and going for a pleasant stroll at night instead of remaining indoors to watch television. He is an outsider in Bradbury's bleak futuristic society and is eventually arrested by an automated police cruiser for being a pedestrian.