The best are the donkeys who jaywalk and don't even put a little spring in their step once a car comes along. Even in a crosswalk I usually jog across so I don't hold up traffic.
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Engine09 For This Useful Post:
The driver checks the mirror seven minutes late
The crowded riders' restlessness enunciates
The Guess Who sucked, the Jets were lousy anyway
The same route everyday
And in the turning lane
Someone’s jay-walked again
He’s talking to himself
And hears the price of gas repeat his phrase
I hate Winnipeg
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to troutman For This Useful Post:
Besides, when was the last time a cop issued a freaking Jaywalking ticket?
I got one about 4 years ago crossing the C-Train tracks when a C-train was nowhere in sight. I basically told off the cop, and haven't paid it to this day!
I got one about 4 years ago crossing the C-Train tracks when a C-train was nowhere in sight. I basically told off the cop, and haven't paid it to this day!
J-walking is a crock of ####!
You sure showed them. What a rebel yell.
The Following User Says Thank You to Shazam For This Useful Post:
Man, I almost hit a pedestrian and got rear ended this morning on the way to school in front of the Health Sciences building. I guess she was running (i didn't see her at first), hit the crosswalk button, and without looking and waiting for traffic to slow down or clear the intersection she proceeded to continue running into traffic figuring they'd stop on a dime for her. Well thankfully the other cars and I did and came screeching to a halt and the guy behind me must have been at least an inch or 2 away from my rear bumper.
I see things like this happen on a more regular basis than when I was living in Calgary for SURE. More people who aren't aware of their surroundings and well being. Another thing I see here a lot is people driving downtown with their iPod headphones on and music probably cranked. I like to honk my horn at them to see if they can even hear me. Very unsafe and it drives me nuts!
The only time Jaywalking isn't cool is when people are crossing on the flashing hand at an intersection where not many cars are able to turn because of jaywalkers and it backs up traffic (4st SW turning onto 6th Ave is pretty bad for this). The city needs to put in more turn lights for these intersections so that pedestrians don't get to cross until the turn light is finished and a bunch of cars made it through.
Otherwise, why the hell not? If there are no cars, who cares?
I was crossing between 3rd street and 4th street SW across 7th ave one time (LRT tracks). For those that know it, it's a very short block. I could see that the walk lights to cross 7th were on at both 3rd and 4th street, so I crossed in the middle of the block, which had zero traffic on the road (and logic would tell you none could get on it because the walk lights and it's a transit only road). I got a pretty good lecture from the LRT cops who apparently have jurisdiction to give jaywalking tickets on 7th ave. I got the old "Do you want me to write a ticket?" which I really felt like replying with "Yes. I would like a ticket. I like paying money for safely crossing the street. Any other smart questions @$$hole?" but instead said "No officer. Sorry it won't happen again." I hate it when I have to pander to glorified mall cops because they have a pad of paper that can make life expensive for me.
The Following User Says Thank You to Bill Bumface For This Useful Post:
Go to Cairo, Egypt. It seems there are no rules. People go everywhere. There are no traffic lights anywhere in that city of 18 million people that I saw. I'm not kidding. No garbage pickup either in most areas. There are mountains of garbage in the backyards. You don't feed the dog; he finds his own food in the yard. Back to jaywalking, everyone just walks across the streets, dodging vehicles, camels, donkeys pulling carts. There they have six lanes of cars fighting for space in four lanes of real estate. Everyone honks their horns all the time. It's absolute chaos. It's very interesting.
Go to Cairo, Egypt. It seems there are no rules. People go everywhere. There are no traffic lights anywhere in that city of 18 million people that I saw. I'm not kidding. No garbage pickup either in most areas. There are mountains of garbage in the backyards. You don't feed the dog; he finds his own food in the yard. Back to jaywalking, everyone just walks across the streets, dodging vehicles, camels, donkeys pulling carts. There they have six lanes of cars fighting for space in four lanes of real estate. Everyone honks their horns all the time. It's absolute chaos. It's very interesting.
It's not just Cairo. You just described pretty well any big city outside of North America and Europe (and yes I've been to Cario).
Haha, the title of this thread made me laugh because it's just so true.
There exists two very different silent agreements between drivers and pedestrians in Winnipeg and Calgary.
In Winnipeg it's understood that drivers have the right of way, but pedestrians are free to cross wherever and whenever they like (as long as they don't impede traffic). So you'll commmonly see people standing in a lane just behind the dotted line until a car whizzes by in the adjacent lane, a mere few feet away. The car doesn't even slow down.
In Calgary it's understood that if a pedestrian is so bold to step off the curb illegally, the car must yield to them. If a pedestrian steps off the sidewalk while a car was approaching, undoubtedly the driver will screech to a halt. It has to be unnerving for an Albertan driver their first time in a city like Winnipeg as people are constantly stepping off the curbs, timing their cross exactly behind the moving vehicle.
I went to a school that had it's campus seperated by a busy street (Grant). Every morning a hoard of students bundled in their winter attire would cross en masse inbetween the gaps of cars. Then await in the narrow meridian until a gap appeared in the traffic from the other direction, and like a herd of buffalo proceed across the road. Never mind that a simple slip on the icy roads would mean certain death from the oncoming motorcade, didn't make driver or pedestrian bat an eye.
No wonder the buffalo is near extinct.
__________________ Would there even be no trade clauses if Edmonton was out of the NHL? - fotze
In Montreal, If you wait for a walk sign, you get run over by pedestrians. If you jaywalk, you get run over by cars. The underground is the only safe place.
New York and Montreal is great for jaywalking because drivers can't turn right on a red. Much easier.
Calgary seems to be a weird anomaly. Its the only place in the world I've where traffic actually stops immediately to let people cross roads. I have to be careful whenever travelling to other places because its so ingrained into me that I have the right of way when crossing the road. I try not to cross at crosswalks where there isn't a light when its busy because I know its annoying, but I'll generally just start crossing the road knowing that the car will have to slow down to let me cross. I've nearly been hit by so many cars in different cities I'm amazed I'm still alive. It seems like it takes a week to shake it, but I've had many near misses during those times.
I'll admit, a lot of times, I bring my HK (and often the Ottawa) street crossing mentality back to Calgary. In HK, you look for approaching cars and surroundings for cops, if neither are present, cross. I do the same in Ottawa, but much less frequently. In Calgary... very very rarely do I do it.
However, when I'm driving... I find that I stop for people more in Ottawa than I stop for people in Calgary. And in Ottawa, the pedestrian at least gives you the wave if you stop and let them cross, and a lot of times, they hurry it up when they do... but in Calgary, if you let someone cross, they don't bother giving you the wave and just leisurely cross while I have to hold up traffic behind me.
When I was just 9 or 10, I was walking home from school and I J-walked across a completely empty street that is usually quiet... I did it every day because I knew I could and it would be no problem.
Some cops in a van spot me and come flying over to me and gave me the whole speech about how horrible of a thing I had done and how it is dangerous I could get killed and so on... and then threatened me with a ticket if he ever saw me do it again.
Weirdest thing ever. Totally freaked me out, given how young I was.
It is one of many reasons I don't like cops to this day.
__________________
Huge thanks to Dion for the signature!
J-walking is a normal part of city living. The whole idea that pedestrians are limited to sidewalks is ridiculous. Cars, bikes, and people all share the streets - and everyone should be aware.
The idea that police can tell you where to walk is disgusting. They should be focused on stopping dangerous drivers, criminals, etc.
