A very hungry caterpillar?

As I was walking to work from the train this morning I saw a plump, green caterpillar hanging out on the corner of Chicago Ave. and Wabash. He was just inching along, looking all happy and carefree. I became very worried about him. He was walking toward Chicago Ave. Was he going to cross the street? Was someone going to step on him? Where was he going? Isn't it weird that I assume it was male? I thought aobut picking him up and trying to relocate him to a place where he would be less likely to be smooshed by a car or stepped on by a pedestrian, but where would that be? So I left him, and now I sort of feel bad about it.