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Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

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221–230 of 324 posts

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#221

Note that like most laws, Jaywalking laws tend to make more sense when you read them. Here's the law in New York: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2015/vat/title-7/artic... 1152. Crossing at other than crosswalks. (a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadwa…

Jaywalking laws, independent of how they are implemented only make sense if you start from a prior that the roads are specifically for vehicular use snd it’s pedestrians that are making exceptional use of them. The article is pointing out that belief was a specific policy choice driven at least in part by automakers.

Not even motorized vehicles could cross the road either, mind you. I'd argue that in artery roads, there are much more people that use the road through it rather than crossing it. In those roads, by democracy, ones crossing it should give way.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#222
My neighborhood was built pre-cars, and it shows. The sidewalks are narrow, so everyone walks in the street. If you’re a lucky motorist, we might move over and let you pass. If it’s dark, or snowy, or raining, or the pedestrian is wearing headphones and doesn’t notice you behind them… forget it. You’ll have to drive slowly until the pedestrian reaches their destination or turns out of your path.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#223
post #56
post #23

Worth pointing out that "jaywalking" is not a universal crime. There are jurisdictions in the USA where it's legal. And it's legal here in Canada. Even the term stands out -- I'm familiar with "jaywalking" but you only use a term for it if it's illegal. We just call it "crossing the street", or "impeding the flow of traffic", depending how you do it. (It's not exactly a free for all: in Ontario there is still a requi…

> Worth pointing out that "jaywalking" is not a universal crime. When I first moved from the UK to the USA, I assumed that "jaywalking" was a made-up thing that you warned tourists about, like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_bear . How could crossing the road be _inherently_ illegal, even if done in a safe manner!?

I mean it's also frowned upon for a car to cross red light, even it's "inherently safe" currently. Unless you thought that drivers can use their own judgement to cross red light (I also thought so, mind you), it seems consistent.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm not sure where you're from, but I have seen very few of these. Well I’m not sure where you’re from but I have seen tons of these pedestrian bridges :) wouldn’t it be better to inconvenience the car by building an overpass? The car has an engine and doesn’t get tired. On beg buttons: I did not invent the terminology. Look it up.

Where is that? Source for your beg button claim? I've only seen that term used with a political spin. (And yes, I tried looking it up)

You can’t have looked too hard if you didn’t find it.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#225

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

[flagged]

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#226
post #222

My neighborhood was built pre-cars, and it shows. The sidewalks are narrow, so everyone walks in the street. If you’re a lucky motorist, we might move over and let you pass. If it’s dark, or snowy, or raining, or the pedestrian is wearing headphones and doesn’t notice you behind them… forget it. You’ll have to drive slowly until the pedestrian reaches their destination or turns out of your path. I wouldn’t have it an…

Many streets in parts of Asia (Korea and Taiwan for example) are similar. A majority of the "side" roads just don't have sidewalks, and people walk on the road. I was a little nervous the first few times I encountered it (having grown up in very car oriented suburbs and then lived in Canadian downtowns after that), but it definitely grew on me.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#227

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is a great introduction, its characters are fictional but the story is somewhat true.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where is that? Source for your beg button claim? I've only seen that term used with a political spin. (And yes, I tried looking it up)

You can’t have looked too hard if you didn’t find it.

Please be more charitable. I legitimately looked. All I found were biased pieces calling them beg buttons. I'm asking for an unbiased source calling them that. It seems the real term is a pedestrian call button.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#229

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

I’ve heard several times but never verified that trees aren’t planted on boulevards anymore because of automaker lobbying. Something about drunk drivers might hit them. As if driver preference, even drunk drivers, should supersede the public interest.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Is this comment an assertion of the truth of Great Replacement theory, i.e. disgusting Nazi propaganda? Because that is how it reads.

Yes, you're downvoted but correct.
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