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We'll look back one day and wonder how this was ever a crime. This is a symbolic move, since it rarely gets enforced. But needed nonetheless. Now let's get mun

We'll look back one day and wonder how this was ever a crime. This is a symbolic move, since it rarely gets enforced. But needed nonetheless. Now let's get municipalities to put those lights that detect when a pedestrian is crossing so that motorists have better visibility. Tons of crossings not connected to the street lights that need this.

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
> This is a symbolic move, since it rarely gets enforced. Except if you're in a poor part of town. "Rarely enforced" laws are absolutely evil in my opinion, because it means they are really only enforced when convenient to meet other ends. Take anti-sodomy laws before Lawrence v Texas. They were also "rarely enforced", but were conveniently used to call out gays and lesbians as "criminals" whenever it suited some bigoted politician.
- otherme123 4y ago
  Related: https://mobile.twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1595456040677556226 https://mobile.twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/15954560406775... In Chechenya there is a traffic light in red 24/7. It's there only to make you guilty when needed.
mertd 4y ago
It's not a crime. It is a misdemeanor, as in, it will never land you in jail.
- hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
  Misdemeanors are still very much crimes.
mturmon 4y ago
I’m afraid jaywalking ordinances do get enforced, even in urban California. The city of Pasadena was known for this, e.g., https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/police-write-138-tickets-during-bike-and-pedestrian-safety-enforcement-campaign-in-pasadena https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/police-write-138-tickets-du... One for Glendale: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/comments/ueu5lc?s=8 https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/comments/ueu5lc?s=8 A few in Burbank: https://myburbank.com/burbank-police-target-unsafe-pedestrians/ https://myburbank.com/burbank-police-target-unsafe-pedestria...
- Fatnino 4y ago
  I had buddies in high school get cited for jaywalking across Fairfax Ave in LA. They gave fake names to the cops and got away with it. Well done, legal system.
  - sfe22 4y ago
    Is it worth the risk to give a fake name?
    - Fatnino 4y ago
      Almost certainly not. They did it anyway. I wasn't there.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
    - sentientslug 4y ago
      Maybe as a high schooler (presumably) in the 90's. In today's world, probably not.
googlryas 4y ago
They may have made some sense "back in the day", when pedestrians weren't used to car traffic, but these days perhaps they are just used as a pretext to search someone for contraband and check if they have any warrants: eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2cbIgEP08&t=6s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2cbIgEP08&t=6s
mozman 4y ago
Long ago on Castro St in Mountain View I was returning from lunch and took my first step to cross a road with a red light. A cop was on the corner and struck the pole with his nightstick as soon as I entered the road. I took it as a threat and retreated. Asshole.
lupire 4y ago
It's a crime because of regulatory capture by car sellers stealing our public roads from the people. It would be wonderful if one day such a concept was ancient and foreign.

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago

> This is a symbolic move, since it rarely gets enforced. Except if you're in a poor part of town. "Rarely enforced" laws are absolutely evil in my opinion, because it means they are really only enforced when convenient to meet other ends. Take anti-sodomy laws before Lawrence v Texas. They were also "rarely enforced", but were conveniently used to call out gays and lesbians as "criminals" whenever it suited some bigoted politician.

otherme123 4y ago
Related: https://mobile.twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1595456040677556226 https://mobile.twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/15954560406775... In Chechenya there is a traffic light in red 24/7. It's there only to make you guilty when needed.

mertd 4y ago

It's not a crime. It is a misdemeanor, as in, it will never land you in jail.

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
Misdemeanors are still very much crimes.

mturmon 4y ago

I’m afraid jaywalking ordinances do get enforced, even in urban California. The city of Pasadena was known for this, e.g., https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/police-write-138-tickets-during-bike-and-pedestrian-safety-enforcement-campaign-in-pasadena https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/police-write-138-tickets-du... One for Glendale: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/comments/ueu5lc?s=8 https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/comments/ueu5lc?s=8 A few in Burbank: https://myburbank.com/burbank-police-target-unsafe-pedestrians/ https://myburbank.com/burbank-police-target-unsafe-pedestria...

Fatnino 4y ago
I had buddies in high school get cited for jaywalking across Fairfax Ave in LA. They gave fake names to the cops and got away with it. Well done, legal system.
- sfe22 4y ago
  Is it worth the risk to give a fake name?
  - Fatnino 4y ago
    Almost certainly not. They did it anyway. I wasn't there.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
  - sentientslug 4y ago
    Maybe as a high schooler (presumably) in the 90's. In today's world, probably not.

googlryas 4y ago

They may have made some sense "back in the day", when pedestrians weren't used to car traffic, but these days perhaps they are just used as a pretext to search someone for contraband and check if they have any warrants: eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2cbIgEP08&t=6s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2cbIgEP08&t=6s

mozman 4y ago

Long ago on Castro St in Mountain View I was returning from lunch and took my first step to cross a road with a red light. A cop was on the corner and struck the pole with his nightstick as soon as I entered the road. I took it as a threat and retreated. Asshole.

lupire 4y ago

It's a crime because of regulatory capture by car sellers stealing our public roads from the people. It would be wonderful if one day such a concept was ancient and foreign.