Who’s that dashing across a crowded intersection with a backpack on and a determined look on the face? The student jaywalker, of course!
These people run swiftly across the street, calculating the amount of time they have to get to the median before traffic builds up. Cars traveling at various speeds rarely, if ever, stop for them.
To me, jaywalking has always seemed like an unnecessary choice. Running into traffic with a limited educated guess that you’ll make it across the street without getting hurt is too much of a gamble.
Maybe this is too strict a view for me to adopt, but it’s a dangerous situation that people put themselves in every day for the sake of convenience.
Based on the fact that cars, especially when traveling at high speeds, can cause a multitude of accidents, it seems strange that both APU students and other pedestrians would continue to put themselves in jeopardy.
In an article on The Week.com, “An Argument for Jaywalking,” interviewee and downtown LA blogger Brigham Yen suggests that jaywalking is a source of empowerment for pedestrians. “[Jaywalking] is a sign that pedestrians rule. Cars take the back seat,” he says.
This statement seems a little far-fetched. Yen is suggesting that cars, which have much more physical power and use of the roadways than pedestrians, somehow have less importance than those on foot. Although I can appreciate his argument on the basis of sheer boldness, it’s not a sound thought process to adopt on the matter.
Of course, pedestrians should have the right-of-way, but only when they are in a designated crossing area or some kind of emergency has occurred that prevents them from crossing the street in the crosswalk.
Even when not thinking about jaywalking from a safety perspective, consider it is a major legal offense.
“Jaywalking is a violation of the California Vehicle Code and can result in a traffic citation and a fine. … Drivers may not be paying as close attention to pedestrians when driving down a street where there isn’t an intersection,” wrote APU Campus Safety Officer Jeffrey Joseph in an email interview.
Not only are jaywalkers at the mercy of drivers, they also run the risk of getting an expensive fine, just for walking where they aren’t supposed to be. It seems like too much to risk just to get across the street faster.
I’ll be the first to admit that jaywalking is tempting — oh so tempting. Sometimes if I’m late for a class, whether by my own doing or not, the thought and satisfaction of getting across the street faster is alluring, in a rebellious type of thinking.
In essence, jaywalking is like being a daredevil for 10-20 seconds. You’re the only one who knows you’re going to do it, and the thought of beating cars across the street is kind of exciting in a “man vs. machine” way.
But again, from a safety perspective, I ask the question: What kind of situation am I putting myself into?
Having been hit by a car along my mother when I was younger, I have never underestimated the carelessness of drivers. Although she and I survived with virtually no injuries, it still baffles me that the man who hit us, while we crossed the street in a designated crosswalk, was not paying attention to his surroundings. Needless to say, pedestrian safety and right-of-way issues hold a special place in my heart.
Know, too, that jaywalking ticket in LA can run you at least $200, according to an article on Business Insider.com — a fee that can be easily avoided.
If you still don’t think jaywalking is a big deal, and agree more with Yen’s thoughts on the matter, I have one question for you: How much do you value your safety? When in doubt, take the crosswalk and know that you’ll be that much safer, even if you’re late to that morning statistics class (hint, hint).