Snapturtle

You’ve done it. I’ve done it. Everybody does it. J-Walking is a classic example of “busy” people in such a hurry that they’d risk their life just to cross the street 15 seconds faster. Or, maybe someone j-walks because everyone else is so why not them. Personally I don’t care if you j-walk or not but I can’t recommend it due to completely insane drivers that would rather plow you over to park in the red zone to get their Starbucks fix then let you j-walk.

San Francisco has recently been converting their old crossing signs to new ones that include a counter that counts down from 12 seconds to when the actual light will turn red. I like it. I now know that when the timer is at 2 seconds that I’d better stay on the safe side. But of course, some people think it means “Hey, idiot, you’ve got 2 seconds to cross, get moving!”. So, they cross. Sometimes running, other times walking as if there were no timer and that car that is fast approaching is going to care about them and stop.

Then there’s the crossing on a complete red because there aren’t any cars in the area at that very moment. You know the type, first they edge out of the curb to stand in the crosswalk and annoy those drivers who’d like to turn right. Then, after glancing down the street looking for oncoming traffic, which still has a green light, they cross. What fascinates me about these types is if a car comes barreling through the intersection with the right of way, the j-walker expects the car to yield. Usually there are words exchanged, horns honked, or the universal language symbol used.

So, if you ever encounter a j-walker out and about, just sit back and enjoy. There is usually something humorous each time. Oh, and if you are a j-walker, don’t stop on my account, I’m sure not.