In praise of... jaywalking

[w00hoo_kent]

It can take soooo long walking anywhere in German, Swiss, Austrian etc towns as you have to constantly stop and loiter pointlessly at the edges of empty roads. Very frustrating if you're in a hurry. UK-style tolerance is much more people-friendly.

I am completely ignorant of jaywalking laws in other countries, so far being never being accosted for doing it wrong although I'm sure I have. So, if you are in the middle of two crossings and want to cross the road, do you have to walk to where there *is* a crossing, and do it there?

 

[mustang1]

Shouldn't they introduce an amber man to indicate you can continue crossing once you're on the road? And then before turning green, the light gives an amber "get ready to walk".

Kind of restrictive me thinks.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I've not done much walking about at 2am (and if I have I doubt I've been worrying about the red man) but considering US traffic lights go to 'four way caution' (all directions flashing amber) at around midnight you'd have thought they'd have had a similar function for the pedestrian crossing lights. Then again, I'm all for jaywalking, so don't really know.

 

[Aperitif]

Fewer things boil my wee faster than seeing people being penned in like cattle so that they don't get in the way of the traffic. Back me up here @theclaud, it is so blinking rude and uncivilised!

At lunchtime I got let off a fine, on account of my being a visitor, for crossing on a red man in such a cattle pen, right outside the office, when there was not a single vehicle or bicycle in sight. I got a lecture on road safety from a Danish police officer who, I'll admit had very cute freckles and lovely laughter lines around the eyes, and a very fetching Heckler & Koch belt accessory. So I just nodded and agreed with every word.

Should the red man be mandatory or should people on foot be allowed to cross the road when and where they like?

St Greg, you should realise that this is an important piece of legislation; who wants a wander full, wander full Copenhagen? That officer saved your bacon.(And ate theirs.)

 

[jefmcg]

Fewer things boil my wee faster than seeing people being penned in like cattle so that they don't get in the way of the traffic.

It can also be very dangerous. I was once coming home late at night heading to Aldgate East station. The station was closed, and the one way system had these railings all the way around. The only way you were supposed to get through was via the subway, which is sketchy in the middle of the day and it was 10 at night. So I had to climb over the railings in a short skirt, and cross the road and then climb over them on the other side, and hope an inattentive driver didn't crush me against them before I could get out of the way.

It was very scary - but not as bad as the subway - which has sections that you can't see an exit in, so you could be really cornered down there.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

With you all the way. It was the only thing I didn't like about Sweden. Other than the price of booze and the difficulty in buying it, and a strange breakfast habit of squirting pink fish paste into hard-boiled eggs. I blame the Reformation.

Soft boiled on this side of the Øresund. Apart from the odd choices at breakfast, wherein I admit I've gone native, I think the Reformation did more good than harm in these parts. Entire countries in a post-religious state of being. S'wonderful. Why need to put your trust in God when you can put your trust in the state eh? And people here really do trust the state. They happily pay taxes at rates that would cause the screaming ab-dabs in the UK and if you ask why they reel of the list of benefits such high taxation brings them. Like they think tax is the membership fee you pay to be part of civilisation in the happiest country in the world. What can hey be thinking? That will never catch on. Bloody Scandinavian Social Democrats.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Yup, also saw the reverse first hand. Wife and I were in Koblenz waiting with other pedestrains for the green man.with other pedestrians. The sign illuminated, but before the mass of people moved, a cyclist came through RLJ ing. Suddenly a big German arm came out and belted the cyclist on the head, as he passed in front of the pedestrians on our side. None of the pedestrians showed any concern towards the cyclist or remonstrated the guy who hit the cyclist. The murmurs seemed to be he got what deserved.

Needs to be encouraged in that lahndahn.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I am completely ignorant of jaywalking laws in other countries, so far being never being accosted for doing it wrong although I'm sure I have. So, if you are in the middle of two crossings and want to cross the road, do you have to walk to where there *is* a crossing, and do it there?

The law here says (in Danish obvs) if you are near a crossing you must use the crossing. It doesn't define 'near'. Nor, so far as I can tell, have the courts. Folk seem to prefer to use the crossing thobut. Outside the city centre, ime, if you stand on the kerb, away from any sort of crossing, making as if to cross, it should come as no surprise to you if the oncoming traffic slows or stops to let you do so. Very high trust quotient about the place.

One thing that will catch a visitor out at first is the phasing of lights. A green light on the road/cycle lane for traffic turning right will be accompanied by a green man on the crossing on the right turn the turning traffic must pass over, and you have to give way to the pedestrians!