neil

It's always seemed like a ridiculous law to me, why shouldn't I be allowed to cross the street when there's no traffic around? Can't I have that bit of freedom to start crossing just before the light changes?

What are your thoughts on Jaywalking?
Have you got used to it if it's enforced where you live?
Have you been caught out by it?
Can you talk your way out of it by being British?

paddingtongreen

I think the jaywalking laws make a lot of sense. Traffic, vehicular and pedestrian would flow better. We wouldn't get into traffic jams because a jaywalker got hit, or a car hit another in avoiding an idiot in the street. In some ways, I would let you play in the street but we would get stuck with your medical expenses and you would probably sue for pain and suffering.

If you go into the realm of cars, are you prepared to indemnify anyone who hits you, and pay for damage to their car?

neil

So does that mean if you were jaywalking you are responsible for any damage done if a car hits you? Just interested.

I think it might make sense in some places, but around here it can be much easier and just as safe to walk across the road where there's a line of traffic not moving, as long as you're careful. Everytime you cross the road you need to be aware of your surroundings and possible consequences even if you are crossing at a point where you legally have right of way, so why should any other part of the road be any different. This law seems akin to having a curfew for example - it should be your decision when you're allowed to go out - you should know when and where you feel safe to be at certain times of day.

Also, if you have always been somewhere with this law, how would you cope when visiting countries that do not have this and where sometimes you do not have specific places that are designated as pedestrian crossings? If you've never had to think about it for yourself wouldn't it make that situation hundreds of times more dangerous?

Brit'n'TX

jay-walking?

in Texas, people don't walk, so it's never been an issue

the Texans will be the first of our species to have vestigial legs ...

Jan Alaska

enforcing jay-walking would mean the police would have to get out of their cars ..... so nope its not enforced around these parts. We do have marked 'crosswalks' but getting a car to stop so you can use them is impossible.

I cross where i want :P

Jan

CaliforniaBride

Not really a problem. The steady stream of traffic pretty much ensures pedestrians stay on the path. Saying that we don't have pedestrians. This IS LA!

paddingtongreen

In Philadelphia, people jaywalk, I think there is a law but not enforced. My reason for wanting them enforced is that if I hit some idiot running across a busy road, my insurance will have to pay and my premium will go up, even though jaywalking is against the law. They will make me partially liable for not seeing the berk.

CaliforniaBride

True. Something to do with the law saying pedestrians have right of way as soon as they step onto the road. The law is the same in England but I do find that in LA pedestrians seem to avail themselves of that right far more than in the UK!!!!

When I'm crossing here, especially in car parks I drive them mad. I do the Brit thing and I wait for the car to pass, they do the LA thing and wait for me to step out in front of them.

Here pedestrians don't even look and neither do the kids. I've sen mothers outide my sons school standing on the edge of the kerb chatting while their kids play behind them, on the crossing!!!!! The assumption is that as soon as they step ot then you will stop.

Well of course thats the law but accidents happen!

NJ_Dave

There are bugger all sidewalks in my town, so I have no choice on the jaywalking issue. There is zero crime in my area, so you'd think that the cops would be handing out jaywalking tickets just for something to do. But I often see police cars driving past people on the roads (myself included) and not even give them a second glance.

gruffbrown

Or parked up en masse in Dunkin Donuts, is it true that they give cops free donuts and coffee?

neil

But if it were enforced wouldn't that lead to car drivers paying less attention to their surroundings and the accident rate wouldn't really go down overall (I think I might have read about that somewhere).

Bob

Haven't seen it enforced around here, but the cops do give you the hairy eyeball if you randomly cross the street...but generally it isn't to bad, a fair few zebra crossings...though using the lights are a joke, the pedestrian bit never changes colour

paddingtongreen

I honestly don't know. I was thinking of Philadelphia and apart from the graveyard shift, you are kept busy getting into the correct lanes etc. Looking out for jaywalkers is overload.

TimFountain

Got told off by a cop in Redondo Beach, CA for crossing when there was a crossing 100 yds down. I pretended I didn't speak English, (I replied in French). He ranted a bit more and got back in his car. I have heard that in downtown austin the cops have been known to give tickets.

- Tim

AdobePinon

NM.... walk where you want, drive where you want.... but don't ever run over a pedestrian. You're right to be where you have no right to be is sacred.