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Thursday, May 31, 2007

Another Reason to Quit that Bad Jaywalking Habit of Yours



Last week I wrote about jaywalking in New York -- and how, during my week in Gotham, I couldn't quite adjust to the norm there -- crossing the street anytime a car isn't shooting toward you, crosswalk signals be damned.

As I mentioned before, I've been more cautious in crosswalks ever since Maria and I got a ticket in Burbank a few years back. The tragic death of Bill Wingard outside the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake -- and he had the right of way -- also serves as a reminder that when it comes to you vs. oncoming traffic, the traffic wins.

That's why this Blogdowntown post about a deadly bus accident on 5th street serves as yet another reminder: Be careful when crossing the street:

The fatality has been confirmed as a 35 year old hispanic female. Preliminary reports are that she stepped away from the curb against the red light and was struck by a bus turning right onto 5th. Paramedics declared her dead on the scene.

It's easy for us to complain about the way LAPD writes jaywalking tickets Downtown, but this is a sobering reminder of why they do what they do. Most fatal accidents Downtown involve a jaywalking pedestrian. That's the point Captain Andy Smith is making to media on the scene right now.

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