To the editor:
I’m really tired of pedestrians not using crosswalks. It seems to me that jaywalking is part of being a Jayhawk these days. Bolting out on Mass. Street is common place these days, I know, but when driving, do you drive on the sidewalk? Do you run red lights? If you said “no” to either of those, then use crosswalks instead of just slithering across the street in the thick of traffic. If you do use crosswalks, wait until it’s green to cross the street. If you have small children, keep a hold of them, please, so they don’t run out into the street unknowingly.
If the Lawrence Police Department really wanted to make some money, they’d start ticketing pedestrians for not abiding by the law. I’d get a ticket if I ran a red light. So should pedestrians for crossing the street when they have a red light.
Comments
Lawrenceks 8 months, 1 week ago
Heck, you ought to go up on campus. They don't even look before they cross the street up there let alone use the crosswalk!!
wounded_soldier 8 months, 1 week ago
They don't look on Mass street either. Students, wake up, this town is for all of us not just you and if you walk out in front of someone they may not see you. I would hate to see such a smart, worldly person like you waste his/her life.
Topple 8 months, 1 week ago
Try telling an adolescent that they aren't the center of the universe. If they can get their nose out of their smart phone long enough to hear you, see what response you get.
Lynn731 8 months, 1 week ago
Enforcement of this law has been lacking for the 40 years I have lived in Douglas County. I have long advocated that the law either be enforced or taken off of the books. Open contempt for any law, breeds contempt for many others. Either start writing tickets for jaywalking or take the law off of the books!
Romans832 8 months, 1 week ago
Agree 100%! But maybe someone should tell Red Dog. This a.m. he was at 9th and Mass. encouraging his little "puppies", many of them running across on red lights. When I asked him about this, as a retired police officer, he was only concerned that they be "safe." "Legal" didn't seem to matter. What about "running in place?" It may even be part of his warm-up exercises with them. Extend that to those red lights!
redearthchild 8 months, 1 week ago
Red Dog doesn't encourage breaking traffic laws during warm-up exercises - he goes to busy intersections during runs to try to ensure safety for the runners. All of the runners I've ran with keep an eye on the traffic signals - sometimes we run on a red light but not when traffic is coming - like most of the running, walking, bicycling community does. little puppie
OonlyBonly 8 months, 1 week ago
So it's situational when you obey laws then?
windjammer 8 months, 1 week ago
Red Dog is such a little man with a huge ego. Idiots like him have no clue about the laws.
none2 8 months, 1 week ago
You're just jealous that he does more for the entire community in one hour than what you could do in a lifetime.
tennesseerader 8 months, 1 week ago
I was traveling on Tennessee street at 10:30 p.m. one evening and a couple of young people darted out between two parked cars right in front of me. Fortunately for them, I locked up my brakes in the nick of time and was able to let the intoxicated college students continue on their oblivious way.
skull 8 months, 1 week ago
How dare those students cross streets on campus? I'm pretty sure drivers have the right to speed down any street on their cellphones and never turn into the correct lane, never actually stop at stop signs, give those dastardly hippie bicyclists the right away...etc.
You people need to get out of Lawrence a little bit and see how pedestrians and bicyclists have the right of way in the rest of the world. Try Canada, you may be surprised at the kindness given to pedestrians. Why would anyone drive on downtown mass anyways?
skull 8 months, 1 week ago
Yeah, sarcasm is kind of my thing.
TashaOdom 8 months, 1 week ago
It isn't about being or not being considerate to pedestrians. It's about their safety just as much as it is about anything else. I often see parents walk or run out in front of vehicles with their children, that's just bad and utterly stupid parenting. Also, this teaches their kids to not be mindful of traffic and not view vehicles as a potential threat to their lives if they don't give them the amount of respectful fear they garner and deserve. On a side note, people behind the wheel are deserving of respect too (they don't willingly forfeit that right just by having the audacity to be a driver), and darting out in front of them, making them slam on the brakes, is NOT respectful to them or their passengers. Who could, I might add, be children. And, as far as why anyone would drive on downtown Mass, well, it's called Massachusetts STREET for a reason. Otherwise, it would just be called Massive Sidewalk.
mommatocharlie 8 months, 1 week ago
Pedestrians only have the right of way when they are walking in compliance with the laws. The same goes for bicyclists. Skull---did you know that a red light in any direction for pedestrian or bicycle or car means STOP not GO? Right of way also for pedestrians should only pertain when the pedestrian is crossing with the light in a specified crosswalk. This has been the case in EVERY city and state i have lived in or traveled in. THAT'S what happens outside the world of KU and Lawrence---even in Canada!
tomatogrower 8 months, 1 week ago
Campus is closed during the day, so pedestrians do have the right away there, but they need to leave that attitude behind when in the rest of town. I'm tired of people who walk against a red light even when there are cars coming who do have the right away.
OonlyBonly 8 months, 1 week ago
It may be closed "during the day" but vehicles are still allowed access to the main roads. Traffic rules for pedestrians are still in effect.
bethlang1998 8 months, 1 week ago
There is still traffic on main campus during the day - buses, maintenance vehicles, people with permits to get on campus - so students still need to be mindful when crossing lest they get plastered.
paulveer 8 months, 1 week ago
Unless the ordinance has changed in the last year, jaywalking is illegal in Lawrence if and only if it occurs in a block that has traffic controls at both ends, and also has a crosswalk in the middle. This makes jaywalking illegal only in the 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-hundred blocks of Mass, and the 8- and 9-hundred blocks of New Hampshire, and very few other places in Lawrence. The police do enforce it there, though, mainly in a late-night money grab from downtown partiers.
somedude20 8 months, 1 week ago
What bites my butt is when someone hits the crosswalk lights at 12th and Kentucky, then walk across the road before it changes so that all the drives are waiting for the ghosts to cross. All well, be young, have fun and drink Pepsi!
BinxBolloxed 8 months, 1 week ago
There's a fella in my neighborhood who has jogged straight out in front of my car...twice...over the last few months. He had ear buds in both times and never looked before he darted out into the road (in the middle of a city block, mind you). As a frequent walker in Lawrence, I just wanted to explain to him how dangerous this is. But alas, I hesitate to be that citizen who gets blasted with expletives just for imparting a wee bit of common sense.
SnakeFist 8 months, 1 week ago
I have a much bigger problem with bicyclists who jump from street to sidewalk and back again and don't think stop signs apply to them.
However, the several blocks of downtown Massachusetts street ought to be closed to cars. There's plenty of parking on the adjacent streets, and the short walk would do everyone some good.
OonlyBonly 8 months, 1 week ago
Ever see what happened to downtown Kansas City, KS when they tried this? Closing Minnesota Ave destroyed it.
SnakeFist 8 months, 1 week ago
I don't see why closing a few blocks to traffic would, by itself, reduce customers. There's nowhere near enough parking on Mass Street as it is, so many people already park on adjacent streets and walk a block or two. I think closing the street, adding outdoor tables and chairs, landscaping, and mobile vendors would enhance rather than detract from Mass.
mommatocharlie 8 months, 1 week ago
It would in effect keep handicapped and/or disabled shoppers from shopping on Mass St. But oh i forget, they are invisible anyway, aren't they?
mommatocharlie 8 months, 1 week ago
Same thing happened in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They reopened the street to cars finally after too many years.
TashaOdom 8 months, 1 week ago
It's called Massachusetts "Street" for a reason. If it was meant to be just one giant sidewalk it would be called Massive Sidewalk.
The_Big_B 8 months, 1 week ago
I love driving through Mass Street ... but I never do it when I'm in a hurry, and I always expect pedestrians and bicycles to come from about anywhere -- that's kind of the point --- and I always try to yield and smile. People already know (don't they?) that if you are in a rush, you go at least over to NH or VT, or even better to KY or TN ... Everybody just needs to chill a little, and love each other more.
msezdsit 8 months, 1 week ago
Come on people, there are bigger fish to fry than jaywalking. It happens, deal with it.You still can't just run over someone for jaywalking. It is more of a representative of peoples maturity and or awareness and if people are not going to behave maturely and with courtesy than that is pretty much the beginning and the end of it.
smitty 8 months, 1 week ago
This zero tolerance enforcement of the jaywalking ordinance was one of the first public attempts to reintroduce Ted Bordman's name with the public after he shot and killed Gregg Sevier in '91.
And Bordman, a Lawrence police officer, joins his partner, officer Tony Buckner, as they continue their mission on this Friday night.
The two are the latest disciples ordained by a higher authority -- the city manager's office and police department supervisors -- that have been assigned to walk downtown on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to deliver a message: Don't break the law.
And not just the obvious ones, such as aggravated battery and drunken driving. No, Bordman says, all of them, as spelled out in the scripture of state and federal law books and page after page of city codes.
"We're pretty much practicing zero tolerance," Bordman explains shortly after he and Buckner greet two visitors who will follow them on their rounds into the early morning hours on Saturday.
Followed up with our speak no evil and it will all be OK major who acknowledgement that she jaywalks..often.
Lawrence's mayor says she was pleased with what she observed Friday night as she walked downtown with police.
Jo Andersen had to force herself to toe the line Friday night in downtown Lawrence.
"You're talking to the jaywalker, here," Lawrence's new mayor said.
But Andersen stayed in the crosswalks as she joined two Lawrence police officers Friday night in their foot patrols through the city's downtown.
gbulldog 8 months, 1 week ago
I have the right to jaywalk if I want to! The law is discrimintory because I am more important than you and you do not have the right to tell me what to do. If I want to have sex, that is my right. If I want to have an abortion, that is my right. If I want you to pay for birth control, that is my right. If I want to make promises that I can not keep nor have any attention of keeping, that is my right. I have the right to smoke, or talk on my cellphone any time or any place. How dare you try and control me, That is what I was taught in school and told to me by my friends. If you hurt me or try and stop me, I will sue and destroy you financially. - I used to think diffently, and try to follow the rules of society. But I am getting tired of the Horse Pucky being dumped on me and have decided to your your ranks.
paisley 8 months, 1 week ago
If anyone should be of their right mind and actually WAIT for the light at a crosswalk...another helpful tip is to stand back from the curb a bit. Common sense tells me that it is safer than 'hanging ten" off the curb.
classclown 8 months, 1 week ago
Tomatogrower "right away" means immediately. What do you think it means?
fiddleback 8 months, 1 week ago
Anyone up for some historical perspective?
http://m.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/04/invention-jaywalking/1837
What about more recently added laws like smokers needing to stay 10+ ft. from doorways?
You'd think if it was just added to the books, there would be at least be a honeymoon of serious enforcement. But I hardly ever see cops on Mass., let alone carrying tape measures. Thus, you've got hipster scofflaws smoking their Parliaments left and right like it never existed...
The reality: meaningful rules require smart design. Since pedestrians generally outnumber cars on Mass Ave. and Jayhawk Blvd, I say give them absolute right of way on both, no matter how oblivious or stupid their timing. And the former should have a total smoking ban, making violations and ticketing much more clear-cut. Let those with an adolescent fetish for incremental suicide do it in the back alleys.
webmocker 8 months, 1 week ago
Letter writer says
"I’d get a ticket if I ran a red light. So should pedestrians for crossing the street when they have a red light."
You might get a ticket if you ran a red light in front of a police officer, though I have seen drivers run red lights in direct view of the police without even getting pulled over. So...assumption denied. That said, it is agreed that pedestrians who walk in front of cars against the light should be ticketed.
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