Jaywalkers international

Yes, I got to admit: I'm a notorious Jaywalker!

Especially if there is a red light blocking my path, I do just go a few yards off in either direction and then cross the street according to traffic.

And yes, I'm guilty of expecting parents to explain their children that I might act as a bad example.

Can't help it - that's just how I'm wired.

I'll cross the road whenever it looks safe to me (although we don't have jaywalking rules here), but I try to make sure that if there is a parent with small children around that I wait for the lights. Just like I try not to swear around kids either....

Whats the exact definition of Jaywalking? I just think of it as walking in the road

Chris: oooh - wouldn't equate jaywalking to swearing tho'

Will: that's the point - Jaywalking IS just walking the road (and crossing where there is no crossing)...

I thought for it to be jaywalking you had to impede the flow of traffic.

So long as traffic doesn't then impede the flow of your walking it's ok. (Especially by hitting you, that'd be bad.)

That'd be a tad painful if it impededed your walking by hitting you... But in the word of my father "Get up and walk *ride* home, your fine!" (Wonderful man, so encouraging)

I cross when I determine that it's safe to do so, however I try to not do it when there are young and impressionable children around.

I think in Australia its something along the lines of "Crossing the road within x metres of a crossing" (Of course not using that crossing.)

I tend to wait if I'm not in a rush... if it looks safe and I'm in a rush I'll go for it, kids around or not. I figure I'm being a good model for long enough that its just as important to show kids that some people don't do the right thing. (But I always make a point of looking right and looking left and looking right again before crossing)

I only jaywalk when when i'm wearing pants. simpe solution, EVERYONE TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS.


'cept for Mother_Natures_Son, you need a bath first, mate.

Damn... can't I just be hosed down?!

What is this now? A wet t-shirt competition?

Depends on what the prizes are, Rouge Dragon.

heeey, now here is an awesome thread!

like i've previously said i jaywalk lots when i'm not going to 'impede the flow of traffic'. i always look right left right before i cross (or the direct of closest oncoming traffic first and last). often it just comes down to what sort of mood i am in or if i'm in a hurry, i generally dont take notice if kiddiewinks are about.

as previously stated i have been stopped by policy for jaywalking twice. the first time i was already late for work, didnt impede traffic flow, then got told off and let off with a warning from the cop standing across the other side of the road. the second time i was just enjoying my walking flow and didnt see the need to stop when there was no traffic coming, once again the cop was standing directly on the other side, stopped me and told me off before letting me go with a warning.

interestingly, i believe both times i was stopped i was also listening to music on an mp3 player. i wonder if that either effects my jay walking judgement, or ability to be oblivious to police presence

As I've said in another thread: I'm not ready to have my life determined by a traffic light, as long as my self-responsibility gets me to the other side, safe and sound.

I like to stand for that, even with children around.

Not that I rather watch them die, but live a life in mental captivity - it's that I believe that standing at an empty crossing just because a bulb is shedding "red", is crippling and insulting intelligence. Further the "good example thing" - I'm not good at that, I'm far better at serving as the bad one.

Rouge - you'd fall for it? [/scrapped the "foothold"] OMG it almost seems as I'm spellbound the :loco:

PS: aaawwww - no more the loco gaemlin? Must report to the bug files!

I was once told off by a cop for jaywalking. Twas worried i'd go to jail - man it got the adrenalin pumping though!

i once got run over from crossing the road at a junction rather than going to the crossing .It was fatal for about 2 mins , luckily a nurse was there and rebooted me .i still cross wherever i like , some people just never learn

That's simply brilliant Bodhissttva! I mean the "some people just never learn" part, not the part about you getting hit... uhh -cough cough- I remember when I was... I think Nine I was riding my bike across a road and my brother had previously taken the breaks out without my knowledge and I was hit by a car... it was rather painful... I also have had my feet run over by a car, had it stop on top of them, then turn the wheel, and finally drive off. But that one didn't happen while Jaywalking, it happened in my garage... so I suppose that's a tad off-topic. I suppose this whole post was. My Apologies.

Origin of Jay-walking as a term.

From World Wide Words:



That was part of it at least.

that certainly wouldn't apply to the genialistic Jay's who spin semi-godlike

I clearly remember when I was a kid, on the way to school we had a traffic light there and I often came late for school, continuously pressing the button and watching the cars stop-and go-press button-cars stop-and go...... awesome!!!

Guess that's one experience that formed my habit of Jaywalking (nope, none of the guys ever came out to hit me over the head )