Jaywalking - Is it enforced?

Kintarō Hattori

Hello peeps,

My apologies if this has been asked before. This post has led me here. I've never felt the need to ask is the law against Jaywalking enforced as I presumed it wasn't. Each and every day people Jaywalk, including the Gardai themselves. In light of the post above in relation to the taxi driver protest I've felt the need to enquire.

So is it enforced?

shakin

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hello peeps,

My apologies if this has been asked before. This post has led me here. I've never felt the need to ask is the law against Jaywalking enforced as I presumed it wasn't. Each and every day people Jaywalk, including the Gardai themselves. In light of the post above in relation to the taxi driver protest I've felt the need to enquire.

So is it enforced?

afaik jaywalking isnt an offence?

Kintarō Hattori

shakin wrote: »

afaik jaywalking isnt an offence?

As far as I'm aware a law was brought into force several years ago making it an offence.

meathstevie

If you're talking about what just about all pedestrians in Dublin do when they're blatantly disregarding traffic lights they're committing an offence as far as I know. I don't know if the Gardai issue tickets for this but I've seen PSNI officers issuing £30 fixed penalty tickets to pedestrians for disobeying traffic lights and causing a nuisance for other road users.

timmywex

Afaik there is some old law that it is llegal to cross the road within 50 yards of a pedestrian crossing or something like that......maybe someone else would be better informed?!

parsi

As a driver I find jaywalking to be a curse. Anyone from Limerick will know how bad it as at the old Roches Stores..

As a predestrian I find jaywalking to be a necessity - the green man sequence seems to be tacked on as an afterthought in some installs. It's particularly noticeable when you've the kids with you.

goldie fish

it used to be traditional in cork, to walk in the middle of Patrick St, Oblivious to traffic.
However the new footpaths and narrower vehicular routes means it is no longer necessary, or practical.

Doin Pana... a dying art.

There was something a few years back. I remember there was a media campaign, limited, and remember three Gardai staning at the bottom of Grafton Street stopping people crossing before the Green Man.

My opinion is there are far more important things in the world than stopping people crossing a road. I may give out though if the traffic is quick moving and it is dangerous for the pedestrian.

starbelgrade

I live in a village, 20 drive mins from Sligo town where the nearest traffic lights are... if I need to cross the road legally, would I be obliged to walk over an hour into town just to get to the other side?

PCPhoto

starbelgrade wrote: »

I live in a village, 20 drive mins from Sligo town where the nearest traffic lights are... if I need to cross the road legally, would I be obliged to walk over an hour into town just to get to the other side?

I think you are a little confused ....or maybe I'm wrong...(my understanding) its illegal to cross within (30ft or whatever the distance is meant to be) of a legal crossing (ie. traffic lights, or pelican/zebra crossing) ..... if you are close to those you are obliged to use them - if you are not close to them then crossing the road is a matter of safe cross code: STOP LOOK AND LISTEN - CROSS WHEN SAFE TO DO SO !!!

starbelgrade

PCPhoto wrote: »

I think you are a little confused ....or maybe I'm wrong...(my understanding) its illegal to cross within (30ft or whatever the distance is meant to be) of a legal crossing (ie. traffic lights, or pelican/zebra crossing) ..... if you are close to those you are obliged to use them - if you are not close to them then crossing the road is a matter of safe cross code: STOP LOOK AND LISTEN - CROSS WHEN SAFE TO DO SO !!!

I am not confused, just ill-informed on the legalities of jaywalking. There's a difference.

Esel

starbelgrade wrote: »

I live in a village, 20 drive mins from Sligo town where the nearest traffic lights are... if I need to cross the road legally, would I be obliged to walk over an hour into town just to get to the other side?

No, because then you could be prosecuted for leaving a village idiotless.

rubadub

timmywex wrote: »

Afaik there is some old law that it is llegal to cross the road within 50 yards of a pedestrian crossing or something like that......maybe someone else would be better informed?!

It is a recent enough law, I remember it coming in. My mates brother was done for jaywalking on the N11 at cabinteely. A year or so later and I saw a female gardai actually assisting school children to jaywalk in the same spot. There was a pedestrian bridge in the same spot on the same side, kids were crossing the bridge and she was "aiding and abetting" kids cross right underneath it. I couldn't believe my eyes!

I have found gardai to be ignorant of the law in a few cases. If you check the cycling forum you can see they sometimes just invent laws on the spot, rather than admit they made a mistake or are ignorant.

Rovi

PCPhoto wrote: »

<snip>if you are not close to them then crossing the road is a matter of safe cross code: STOP LOOK AND LISTEN - CROSS WHEN SAFE TO DO SO !!!

Ah, the nostalgia is overwhelming :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAmMhJdsybU

JuliusCaesar

I have complained to DCC about the lights at the Kevin St/New Bride St (Dublin) crossing. For a pedestrian to cross legally, coming from a bus stop on Aungier St down Bishop St, they would need to cross 5 seperate pedestrian lights, crossing 3 streets. (the 2 main roads have 2-part crossings). Everyone jaywalks from Bishop St over to Kevin St where the new garda station is being built - why cross 3 streets when jaywalking 1 gets you there?

DCC's reply was that to put in an extra crossing would slow traffic down too much.

As long as they expect pedestrians to make long detours, jaywalking will happen.

As for the city centre, that's cultural. Try jaywalking in Germany! You'd be put under citizens' arrest if there are no polizei around.

deadwood

I remember as a trainee, an instructor telling us to try a little experiment to prove the value of a uniformed presence. "We all cross the street when the little green man isn't flashing or just cross O'Connell Street wherever we like. When you're out on the beat, stand at the lights and wait for the green man and observe how people will follow your example. Nobody will cross the street against a red light while you're there."

Off I strolled around the mean streets of Dublin and one day I remembered I should try this social experiment to prove, to myself at least, that I was a high profile figure of trust and an example to my fellow citizen. There I stood waiting for the green man to flash expecting joe public to follow my lead, in awe of my awesome powers. Not 3 seconds in, our polyester-clad friend pipes up "fookin 90D culchie guards. Go back to the mountains ya ape, ya, ye're holdin' us all up!" I nearly dropped me hangsamwidges in the crush.

donvito99

deadwood wrote: »

I remember as a trainee, an instructor telling us to try a little experiment to prove the value of a uniformed presence. "We all cross the street when the little green man isn't flashing or just cross O'Connell Street wherever we like. When you're out on the beat, stand at the lights and wait for the green man and observe how people will follow your example. Nobody will cross the street against a red light while you're there."

Off I strolled around the mean streets of Dublin and one day I remembered I should try this social experiment to prove, to myself at least, that I was a high profile figure of trust and an example to my fellow citizen. There I stood waiting for the green man to flash expecting joe public to follow my lead, in awe of my awesome powers. Not 3 seconds in, our polyester-clad friend pipes up "fookin 90D culchie guards. Go back to the mountains ya ape, ya, ye're holdin' us all up!" I nearly dropped me hangsamwidges in the crush.

The Gospel, the Good News of the Lord......

bravestar

If jaywalking ranked up in my top 100 worries while I was working I would be a happy man.

parsi

@Deadwood - you're always good for a laugh and a dose of realism. That tale made me laugh on this dull monday.

johnnyskeleton

deadwood wrote: »

Off I strolled around the mean streets of Dublin and one day I remembered I should try this social experiment to prove, to myself at least, that I was a high profile figure of trust and an example to my fellow citizen. There I stood waiting for the green man to flash expecting joe public to follow my lead, in awe of my awesome powers. Not 3 seconds in, our polyester-clad friend pipes up "fookin 90D culchie guards. Go back to the mountains ya ape, ya, ye're holdin' us all up!" I nearly dropped me hangsamwidges in the crush.

Saw a garda doing the same thing yesterday at a crossroads. One pedestrian joined him in solidarity. Everyone else - including other gardai, just went about their business.

starbelgrade

deadwood wrote: »

I remember as a trainee, an instructor telling us to try a little experiment to prove the value of a uniformed presence. "We all cross the street when the little green man isn't flashing or just cross O'Connell Street wherever we like. When you're out on the beat, stand at the lights and wait for the green man and observe how people will follow your example. Nobody will cross the street against a red light while you're there."

Off I strolled around the mean streets of Dublin and one day I remembered I should try this social experiment to prove, to myself at least, that I was a high profile figure of trust and an example to my fellow citizen. There I stood waiting for the green man to flash expecting joe public to follow my lead, in awe of my awesome powers. Not 3 seconds in, our polyester-clad friend pipes up "fookin 90D culchie guards. Go back to the mountains ya ape, ya, ye're holdin' us all up!" I nearly dropped me hangsamwidges in the crush.

Do you also write the scripts for TJ & TJ on Today FM?

Hooch

starbelgrade wrote: »

Do you also write the scripts for TJ & TJ on Today FM?

Hes accually the older Tj.......

deadwood

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Saw a garda doing the same thing yesterday at a crossroads. One pedestrian joined him in solidarity. Everyone else - including other gardai, just went about their business.

Where's the loyalty, eh? If they were airport police, I bet they would have been arrrested.:p

On a serious note. Solidarity is important when you're going about your business. I recommend lots of fibre.

johnnyskeleton

deadwood wrote: »

Where's the loyalty, eh? If they were airport police, I bet they would have been arrrested.:p

Police arresting other police? Take that Juvenal.

deadwood wrote: »

On a serious note. Solidarity is important when you're going about your business. I recommend lots of fibre.

It kinda takes some of the authority away from Gardai when, after arresting someone for murder and cautioning them, they have to use the accused's toilet before taking them to the station.

deadwood

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

It kinda takes some of the authority away from Gardai when, after arresting someone for murder and cautioning them, they have to use the accused's toilet before taking them to the station.

I agree. They should have released him if they had nothing to go on.:D

Shield

So anyway, how about that jaywalking...

AlekSmart

There is also a simple design issue at play here....Most Irish Local Authorities run a country mile from anything approaching a ...barrier....!

One of the really engaging things about watching the Irish visitors to London,Birmingham or Milton Keynes is their absolute disgust when they come to cross the street and find a big long fence which forces them to walk to a Ped Crossing,press buttons and then WAIT !! until the green man (A misnomer if ever there was one..surely he should be wearing a union-jack?) lights up.

Oh we HATE it,mind you we are usually a bit miffed when the local drivers usually (not always) behave somewhat sensibly at these crossings.

However...the same drivers will not give a moments care for any half-witted Independent Irishman who decides to fecxk-the-Brits and jump over that barrier.

A great many of the accidents and near-misses in Dublin occur at locations which desperately require a bloody fence to segregate human from machine....simple stuff which we feel is far too oppressive and imperialistic for our tastes......:eek:

standardtoaster

Think it was brought in about 8/9 years ago, I remember as a Garda gave one of the lads in my year a "warning" for jaywalking.....it just so happened that he was the least unlikely kid to be in trouble with the Gardaí!!

Does anyone know where the phrase jaywalking originated from/means?

FGR

I have yet to receive instruction in relation to Jay Walking legislation.

I was under the impression that it's a Summons as opposed to an FCPS offence? If so..it's much like a lot of Road Traffic Legislation.

Bit harsh to expect someone to come to court for a broken tail light on otherwise a perfectly road legal car.

mcguiver

I've lifted plenty for walking on front of traffic when drunk, i.e. being a danger to themselves or others (Sec 4 Public Order)

Wilful obstruction has been used, but usually there's more than walking on front of traffic, i.e. usually a protest situation.

Under Section 9 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 anyone without legal authority or reasonable excuse, wilfully prevents or interrupts the free passage of any person or vehicle in any public place shall be guilty of an offence.

While the Gardai have no power of arrest under this Section they can direct any person to desist from the obstruction in question. Failure to comply with that direction is an (arrestable) offence.

parsi

mcguiver wrote: »

Under Section 9 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 anyone without legal authority or reasonable excuse, wilfully prevents or interrupts the free passage of any person or vehicle in any public place shall be guilty of an offence.

While the Gardai have no power of arrest under this Section they can direct any person to desist from the obstruction in question. Failure to comply with that direction is an (arrestable) offence.

Unless you're a taxi driver in Dublin.

Usually in Cork they put barriers along the middle of Patrick Street during the Christmas period in an attempt to prevent wholesale street crossing. This certainly makes driving a whole lot easier (and safer).

goldie fish

They haven't done that since the remodelling.

deadwood

parsi wrote: »

Usually in Cork they put barriers along the middle of Patrick Street during the Christmas period in an attempt to prevent wholesale street crossing. This certainly makes driving a whole lot easier (and safer).

...but makes the footpath like an obstacle course because of those stupid new streetlights!

parsi

Why they couldn't have made them further apart - only kids can walk through them. When you consider it's also where people stop and talk (lean up against poles) then the pavement is littered with choke-points...