A post about (gasp!) the law!
I realize that this blog hasn't had a law-related post in some time, so I thought I would throw this out there. Chicago officials are planning a new measure to crack down on jay-walking. Like most new laws of this type, I am concerned about selective enforcement. Will it matter if I cross on red when I am wearing a suit (okay, I know, but pretend with me) versus a t-shirt and jeans (which make me look 15)? Will there be quotas? What if a whole group of people jaywalk? That happens often. (Side story: more than once I have been standing in the back of a pack and started walking when everyone in front of me did, only later to realize that the light hadn't changed and there was a large vehicle speeding towards me. I blame sleepiness and group mentality).
Personally I rarely, if ever, engage in the kind of jay-walking that they are trying to curtail: namely when people cross against the light and prevent the turning traffic that has the green light from turning. I get REALLY annoyed when I am on Michigan Avenue and this happens. People go when the east/west traffic gets a red light, not realizing (or not caring) that the northbound traffic gets a (very brief) green arrow. Then the car has to stop in the middle of the intersection, lest he run over 15 tourists from Wisconsin, and that ties up the north/south traffic which then has the green light. This is most annoying when I am on the bus and am sitting still on green. (Grr!!). Speaking of tourists, will they get ticketed? What about a school group that goes outside of the white lines (also an infraction) as they walk to the Sears Tower?
I do cross when the little red hand is pointed at me, I will admit it. But I am also very familiar with traffic patterns and know which traffic has the green light when. I walk the same 10 minute walk to the bus stop everyday after work. I know that after all the traffic in the turning traffic on a particular street has turned, I can cross, etc. Will this behavior be subjected to ticketing since technically I am jaywalking, but not affecting the flow of traffic? Only time will tell I suppose.
Let me know what y'all think about this.
Now that I look back, it isn't really about law at all, just the ranting of a city girl, but oh well :)
Personally I rarely, if ever, engage in the kind of jay-walking that they are trying to curtail: namely when people cross against the light and prevent the turning traffic that has the green light from turning. I get REALLY annoyed when I am on Michigan Avenue and this happens. People go when the east/west traffic gets a red light, not realizing (or not caring) that the northbound traffic gets a (very brief) green arrow. Then the car has to stop in the middle of the intersection, lest he run over 15 tourists from Wisconsin, and that ties up the north/south traffic which then has the green light. This is most annoying when I am on the bus and am sitting still on green. (Grr!!). Speaking of tourists, will they get ticketed? What about a school group that goes outside of the white lines (also an infraction) as they walk to the Sears Tower?
I do cross when the little red hand is pointed at me, I will admit it. But I am also very familiar with traffic patterns and know which traffic has the green light when. I walk the same 10 minute walk to the bus stop everyday after work. I know that after all the traffic in the turning traffic on a particular street has turned, I can cross, etc. Will this behavior be subjected to ticketing since technically I am jaywalking, but not affecting the flow of traffic? Only time will tell I suppose.
Let me know what y'all think about this.
Now that I look back, it isn't really about law at all, just the ranting of a city girl, but oh well :)
posted by Simba's Mom at
11:17 AM
1 Comments:
I think this post was a clever attempt to draw attention away from your shocking admission to watching So You Think You Can Dance?!
I think that enforcement will have to be selective. There's not enough cops to write all the tickets.
Here in Trenton, New Jersey the cop's mentality is if it's not a murder, a shooting or a drug deal involving a shooting or murder then don't interrupt my donut break. They do have pretty horses that walk around the capitol streets.
By
ShoreTurtle, at 12:18 PM
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