Montreal police should give loitering tickets to people standing like sheep at red lights.
That is, after all, what loitering is: "to stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose, to travel indolently and with frequent pauses."
Montrealers are increasingly occupying street corners like lobotomized nowhereians.
A new generation of obeisant urban dullards thinks it legit to interrupt their bipedal progress, to clog up our corners and imitate potted plants at sidewalk intersections.
Don't know what kind of bulbs they're using these days but traffic lights have hypnotized Montrealers into pedo-paralysis.
Get your feet moving. No cars coming? Move! Push those Pumas. Clap those clogs. Lighten those loafers. Take a step...now two...you're almost through.
Who'd have imagined that one day the bold-spirited citizens of Montreal would act like they need border collies encircling them, that a light would transform them into statuary frogs on logs, inert and lifeless waiting for a green.
I blame cops and their misguided jaywalking ticket cash grab for slowing foot traffic down just to further privilege the already-much faster and almighty car traveler.
I urge cops to redress the balance, stop giving jaywalking tickets and start giving loitering tickets to those who don't cross when there's obviously no danger.
No cars coming? Cross! Scared of a getting a jaywalking ticket? Well how about being scared of a loitering ticket instead?
Nobody wants your sorry shoes wearing out the pavement. Your kids are waiting for you. You've got work to do. Move it.
That is, after all, what loitering is: "to stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose, to travel indolently and with frequent pauses."
 |
| Light in TMR makes pedestrians wait 60 seconds to cross. Ha! (photo Mitch Hyman) |
A new generation of obeisant urban dullards thinks it legit to interrupt their bipedal progress, to clog up our corners and imitate potted plants at sidewalk intersections.
Don't know what kind of bulbs they're using these days but traffic lights have hypnotized Montrealers into pedo-paralysis.
Get your feet moving. No cars coming? Move! Push those Pumas. Clap those clogs. Lighten those loafers. Take a step...now two...you're almost through.
Who'd have imagined that one day the bold-spirited citizens of Montreal would act like they need border collies encircling them, that a light would transform them into statuary frogs on logs, inert and lifeless waiting for a green.
I blame cops and their misguided jaywalking ticket cash grab for slowing foot traffic down just to further privilege the already-much faster and almighty car traveler.
I urge cops to redress the balance, stop giving jaywalking tickets and start giving loitering tickets to those who don't cross when there's obviously no danger.
No cars coming? Cross! Scared of a getting a jaywalking ticket? Well how about being scared of a loitering ticket instead?
Nobody wants your sorry shoes wearing out the pavement. Your kids are waiting for you. You've got work to do. Move it.
I think the issue is rather an immigration one: the man in the photo is an American citizen of Libertarian politics who mispronounces many English words...
ReplyDeleteOne blessing about retarded pedestrians is that they are NOT at the wheel of a motor vehicle. Pedestrians usually survive head ons, etc with each other whilst texting and/or stumbling drunk.
ReplyDeleteOne good skill taught by living in Montreal is one is often almost over-prepared to survive traffic in any other place in Canada.
The concept that one would wait for the illuminated counter to reach 'Zero' before they cross is logical.
Similar to parking where sign says 'Fire Trucks No Parking' when one is driving a BMW.
Perfect sense.
Thank You.
When you only have three days until your monthly quota of tickets is due and your unit is 175 tickets behind, what do you do? Pulling over cars is hard and time consuming. Grab some of your clown pants wearing buddies and go find a narrow street with a lot of foot traffic. Ignore the cars that zoom through occupied crosswalks. Grab the pedestrians who are dashing across the street whenever it appears safe to do so. Like shooting fish in a barrel. You will meet your quota with plenty of time to spare. Knock off early and kick back with a beer beside your new above-ground pool in Candiac.
ReplyDeleteI too have noticed a decrease in jaywalking and increase in people standing around waiting for the light to change over the last decade in Montreal. I think the police have really scared people into waiting for the almighty cars to finish passing (or the possibility of one passing) before crossing with all their tickets.
ReplyDeleteHere is a very good podcast on the origins of the concept of jaywalking. It's a great listen. Cars didn't always rule the road, there was once a time when people did.
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/episode-76-the-modern-moloch/
Chill the fuck out
ReplyDeleteThose people waiting for the lights to change must be recent immigrants unwilling to break the rules or perhaps fearful of being heckled if they do.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I will walk across against a red on narrow streets which require only a few steps to reach the other side, particularly on cold winter days when I would rather not be standing still anyway. Call it the comfort zone.
One thing that does annoy me, however, is when someone compulsively attempts to dash across despite fast, oncoming traffic and, when they are nearly hit, other pedestrians nearby begin grinning or laughing as if it's some kind of joke.
Would they find it humorous if they themselves were run over?