I got ticketed for jaywalking

[TorontoTrekker]

Y'all should try Montreal on for size. People just keep on walking there, regardless of what the signal says or what traffic is like.

First... "y'all"? Have y'all been hanging out with my bf or something?

Second... last time I was in Montreal, about six weeks ago, I think I was the only person ignoring the lights. People were actually waiting for the light to change, and they weren't all wearing convention badges. It shocked me.

I actually almost got hit by a car this morning on the way to work, but it wasn't entirely my fault... I got off the westbound bus and needed to transfer to the northbound bus. The light was green when I got off the bus, but the red hand light was flashing, so I started to run. But it seemed that I had been blinded by the morning sun (are my eyes getting more sensitive, or has it been brighter than usual lately?). The light actually turned red before I got more than six feet into the intersection, and the car in the curb lane had already started to move. Oops.

(Fortunately, I have quick reflexes, even if my chronic foot pain has gotten more severe lately, and I was able to jump back onto the sidewalk.)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Just a slight update to this story. I got interviewed by the student newspaper. Maybe now my story will gain publicity and I can get justice. Or not, since nobody actually reads the thing. I'm just hoping the person who's writing the story gets the Police department's response to this.

In other news, I'll probably just pay the ticket since the police officer gets paid to show up and, if I lose, I'd have court fees tacked onto this stupid bill.

EDIT: I just re-read my ticket. The reason the bill is 51.50 is because I'm paying a $25 fine, 4.50 in "Victim's Compensation", $1 for VPF (no idea), $1 for SBA (once again, no idea), and $20 in costs.

What costs? I'm paying for them standing there all day to write tickets? Isn't that what tax dollars are for? Or am I paying $20 for the carbon copy paper that they wrote the ticket on.

And $4.50 for victim's compensation? That's even worse, what victim?

I'm fine paying $20 for jaywalking and I'm OK with $2 for things that I don't know what they mean. But, at the very least, they should take $24.50 off my fine! Maybe I should go to trial.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

A police officer saw me, slowly walked over and crossed the street. He still did it before the cars got there, showing how empty it was.

So you did have time to slip away into the crowd, but didn't?

(hell, I spend enough time in NYC that I would have definitely thought of that. But I doubt I'd have the guts to go up against a New York cop)

That being said, I see jaywalking all the time in that city. It'd be easier to count the people who *are*, for example, walking across 42nd Street at the crosswalk, because 99.99% of humanity is jaywalking. It's probably a lot harder to catch in the middle of Manhattan though anyway.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

The crowd was six people. This was a dead time of day and no one was around (hence why there were no cars). I thought about bolting towards my house (it would have been about a five minute run up hill while wearing jeans and carrying a backpack, but I doubt the cop would have felt like chasing me). Still, until I actually received the fine, my assumption was that it would be completely minor and I'd possibly just get yelled at.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Jaywalking is the one of the most absurd laws in the history of the entire world.

In the UK

pedestrians in the process of crossing at (unmarked) road junctions should have priority, as a matter of common curtesy

I love being English.

Yes, because the English have NEVER had any foolish laws...

Do a quick search on google for stupid English laws or stupid British laws and you will find plenty.

 

[BigFoot]

Stupid laws aren't the problem. Stupid cops that enforce these laws are.

 

[Yoda]

Jaywalkers can be retarded. The last one that really pissed me off was a guy who went and pushed the crosswalk signal... which was going to delay my ability to turn left by a good 30 seconds... fine whatever... don't care, them's the breaks... but then he drifted down the sidewalk for a while and jaywalked awkwardly to save himself time. It was moderately dangerous given the traffic flow (he had to wait in a turn lane in the middle for some cars to pass)... he ended up getting across the street before his button press got the 'walk' signal, so all of us cars just got to sit there for no reason in particular. Very rude and obnoxious.

I jaywalk a decent amount, and I guess I follow some very simple common sense rules when I do it. I make sure that no car is even close enough that they would consider slowing down for me. I'll run a "don't walk" sign on a green light... but only if I'm confident the light isn't about to change, and I can see that there's no traffic that parallel with me that might be turning right on the same green light. If I can't meet those conditions before the light is going to turn red then I'll press the crosswalk button. It's just basic common courtesy and self preservation.

It sounds like the ticket from the OP was asinine to say the least. Did you happen to see the cop before you crossed? I probably wouldn't have crossed in that case on the theory that too many cops given the chance will be assholes.

 

[Trekker4747]

I love it when people just blindly walk into the street, in the crosswalk or not, I mean, sure, you have the right-of-way and everything but you could at least attempt and act of self-preservation and look before you enter an area where 2-tons hunk of steel are moving at 30 miles an hour.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

It sounds like the ticket from the OP was asinine to say the least. Did you happen to see the cop before you crossed? I probably wouldn't have crossed in that case on the theory that too many cops given the chance will be assholes.

I saw the cops there, but thought they were just hanging out talking to each other. I had no idea they were going to give jaywalking tickets.

BTW, they apparently wrote 44 tickets in three hours.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090930/NEWS01/909300345/1006/NEWS&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

 

[cultcross]

It sounds like the ticket from the OP was asinine to say the least. Did you happen to see the cop before you crossed? I probably wouldn't have crossed in that case on the theory that too many cops given the chance will be assholes.

I saw the cops there, but thought they were just hanging out talking to each other. I had no idea they were going to give jaywalking tickets.

BTW, they apparently wrote 44 tickets in three hours.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090930/NEWS01/909300345/1006/NEWS&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

Must be nice to have so little to do on a shift

 

[farmkid]

Several years ago, I went to traffic school to clear a ticket for something stupid and the topic of jaywalking came up. The cop who was teaching the class said that you can cross anywhere you want if there is no traffic. In other words, it's only jaywalking if there are vehicles on the road and your actions impede their motion somehow. Of course, that may be a location-specific law, so you should check the laws in your own state/city.

However, you said:

They had two cops waiting there all afternoon for someone to cross against the signal (my technical fine) so they could hand out a ticket.

So, you didn't cross in the middle of the block or somewhere that there wasn't a crosswalk, but you crossed against a signal? That may change things.

I know how you feel. Last summer I posted and annoyed thread about the traffic ticket I got on my bicycle -- it was complete BS.

What was the ticket for? I ask because I just left a town where the cops needed to give out a lot more tickets to cyclists. There were MANY bikes in that town and lots of cyclists everywhere. Cyclists regularly rode the wrong way on the streets, completely ignored stop signs, and ran red lights. It drove me nuts, even as someone whose main mode of transportation was a bike. The only reason that there weren't more of them killed is because the residents of the town were used to it and regularly gave cyclists the right of way regardless of who actually had it.

 

[JustKate]

Jaywalking is the one of the most absurd laws in the history of the entire world.

In the UK

pedestrians in the process of crossing at (unmarked) road junctions should have priority, as a matter of common curtesy

I love being English.

Pedestrians in the U.S. have priority at road junctions/intersections, too, whether they are marked or unmarked. The problem is that this apparently wasn't at an intersection. That's what jaywalking is - crossing a road somewhere besides at an intersection.

That said, no, I never have been ticketed for jaywalking and I do it pretty often. Before visiting one city or another, I have at times been warned, though, to be careful because supposedly the police there have been known to issue jaywalking tickets. I never have actually seen one issued, though.

 

[bigdaddy]

My rule is the day someone stops for me in a crosswalk is the day I don't Jaywalk. I'd rip the ticket up in front of the cop and continue on my way.

We have a law in MA saying you will only get fined $100, even through the towns change that because the USA is bullshit, for one Oz. of pot or less. The great thing is as long as you don't have an ID on you just lie and they can't do much.

 

[Aragorn]

It was either ticket you for jaywalking or respond to the bank robbery two blocks away. You were the more dangerous threat to society.

 

[JonathonWally]

Why'd you show him any ID? I don't.

They ask for ID, you say "sorry, no license, I was walking, not driving"

Then they either ask for your name (give a fake one) or, they put you in the squad car and take you down to the station to book you, where I'm sure their boss will be thrilled at their collar!

That's the sort of thing I used to do when they would camp outside my college to do pretty much the same thing.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Jaywalking is the one of the most absurd laws in the history of the entire world.

In the UK

pedestrians in the process of crossing at (unmarked) road junctions should have priority, as a matter of common curtesy

I love being English.

Pedestrians in the U.S. have priority at road junctions/intersections, too, whether they are marked or unmarked. The problem is that this apparently wasn't at an intersection. That's what jaywalking is - crossing a road somewhere besides at an intersection.

No, it was an intersection, just a stop signal instead of a walk signal. Since such laws are local ordinances (not even state laws) they vary greatly.

Why'd you show him any ID? I don't.

They ask for ID, you say "sorry, no license, I was walking, not driving"

I thought about it, but decided lying to a police officer might be a more serious charge. I didn't realize they were on a fundraising drive until it was too late.

 

[Lookingglassman]

When I was stationed at Bad Kreuznach Germany a German dude who was jaywalking got hit and killed by a car. The Polizei actually wrote a ticket for it and laid it on his corpse before covering it up. That is hardcore.

 

[Trekker4747]

Why'd you show him any ID? I don't.

They ask for ID, you say "sorry, no license, I was walking, not driving"

I agree with this, and it's my understanding that they can't ask to see your DL unless you're in a car.

How does tickets for things like jaywalking or traffic violations on a bike "count against you"?

If you get pulled over in your car and it's a moving violation it effects you in a few ways, points go on your license -which may effect driving privileges-, your car insurance might go up, etc. But if yiu get a ticket jaywalking seems to me it'd have no real effect on your life other than being out the fine -and possibly the time spent in court if you choose to fight it.

 

[cultcross]

They ask for ID, you say "sorry, no license, I was walking, not driving"

Then they either ask for your name (give a fake one) or, they put you in the squad car and take you down to the station to book you, where I'm sure their boss will be thrilled at their collar!

That's the sort of thing I used to do when they would camp outside my college to do pretty much the same thing.

Now I can't exactly say I think jaywalking is a good law to have, or that the cop in this case wasn't wasting his time, but this sort of thing is a silly response which will only escalate the situation.
I don't know what the situation is in the US, but here failing to give a correct name and address for an officer to deal with an offence is grounds for being nicked for it when it could have been dealt with another, much milder way if you hadn't decided to play silly buggers. There are ways and means of challenging a cop's decision you think is unfair. Lying isn't a good one of these.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

it's my understanding that they can't ask to see your DL unless you're in a car.

Really? I didn't know that. I thought they could ask for your ID pretty much any time, car or no.