Jaywalking
So last night in the news on Radio-Canada & CTV they talked about this new campaign. And today it was in newspapers like The Gazette. Which campaign is this? It’s the jaywalking breakdown campaign brought to you by the SPVM!
In Montreal jaywalking is really everywhere. Sometimes people cross the street and don’t even look! There have been 10 pedestrians killed in car accidents since January 2006. And I bet many more have been injured!
Often at a crossing there is the little white man light, then the little blinking red hand light, and finally the full red hand light. Personally I thought you could still cross when the hand was blinking, that you just had to hurry! But nope! It means you have to stop and wait for the next little while man light! It does make sense. And when it’s the normal green-orange-red stoplights then we have to follow the same rules as cars, stopping at orange-red. And not hurry through! Otherwise it’s a 37$ fine! Today I saw a man getting one of these fines. He wasn’t too happy. Actually he couldn’t believe he was getting fined for jaywalking. The police were also handing out information pamphlets and talking with the pedestrians.
Stoplight on at the corner of Sherbrooke and St-Urbain, photo by Christelle.
I’m not saying that I never cross on a red light. But I do agree that it is dangerous and perhaps I should wait for the good traffic light before crossing a street… But it is so tempting when I see not one car coming and the way is completely free!
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Maybe we shouldn’t get out on the streets anymore at all. Give the way to the so nature-safe “green peace” on four wheels!?
Have you ever paid attention to the little “white man” as you call it? Most of the time you really have to run to be able to cross in time unless you’re fine with staying in the middle of the road “waiting for the next little white man” as you put it again.
We’re still humans and the planet still belongs to us and I think we shouldn’t be letting the way to the machines.
Besides I think drivers on the streets of Montreal should care more about the amount of bad drivers on the road than the jaywalkers.
This is just another way to find to collect funds to fill that gap from FINA and the demergers… the same thing is happening with the parking meters.