Wow, didn't know it was that bad. In Australia, as a ped (pedestrian) you may cross at any time when you're more than 20 metres away from a pedestrian crossing

Wow, didn't know it was that bad. In Australia, as a ped (pedestrian) you may cross at any time when you're more than 20 metres away from a pedestrian crossing - if closer, you may get done. It's pretty darned rare for a police officer to charge you though, it'd almost have to a be a "safety blitz" or for the person to have their head down in their phone whilst doing so. Seems much more sensible, and reasonable - basically you're technically free to cross as long as you're not immediately next to a pedestrian crossing, in which case use that. Pedestrian crossing light control system is heavily geared towards cars, though, as pressing the button never changes the current cycle but merely says we'll consider your needs at the next check point. These intervals may be several minutes long (at least that's what they typically feel like). I'm comparing this to Norway when pressing the button often has a rather immediate effect.