Comments on: Should Cops Spend Time Busting Jaywalkers? http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/03/22/should-cops-spend-time-busting-jaywalkers/ 68.3 Square Miles of D.C. News and Opinion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:05:00 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Perch over Dupont http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/03/22/should-cops-spend-time-busting-jaywalkers/comment-page-1/#comment-5835 Perch over Dupont Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:48:55 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2007/03/22/should-cops-spend-time-busting-jaywalkers/#comment-5835 I agree, if you are dumb enough to step into the crosswalk while a cop is right there...you deserve a ticket. Yes, it is breaking the law...big deal. I'm not on the bandwagon that "cops got better things to do" but they should at least do what they are expected to do: protect the public. I sit 8 floors up, over starbucks in Dupont. Most days I watch as a big cop stands there on 18th and N, dishing out tickets (here's here now!). But, this is merely a revenue generating scam by the district. Plain and simple. He is here, next to starbucks, busting only guys in ties, women in suits, generally not so threatening folks. He lets people jaywalk on every one of the other 6 crosswalks within his view, to include people with their strollers, headsets, and little kids in their arms. He isn't protecting anyone, he's merely a guy w/ a gun and radio, generating 250/hr for the government, nothing more. If he was really trying to uphold the law on this corner, he would do it on every corner within his eye shot. He gives out tickets and people behind him simply walk past, jaywalking...The offender, who is busted points, shouts says "hey look they doing it too" but he cares not...just head down..writing tickets. he calls people back in the middle of the intersection, causing them to stop, try to comprehend, and spend at least 3-5 seconds in the intersection. Is This protecting the public or generating revenue without any regards for safety? It drizzled a little today. and the minute the drops came, he ran into his car until the drops stopped coming. Now he's back, o..and some sedan just blew by at 50 mph in the 25mph that 18th street is... I agree, if you are dumb enough to step into the crosswalk while a cop is right there...you deserve a ticket. Yes, it is breaking the law...big deal. I'm not on the bandwagon that "cops got better things to do" but they should at least do what they are expected to do: protect the public. I sit 8 floors up, over starbucks in Dupont. Most days I watch as a big cop stands there on 18th and N, dishing out tickets (here's here now!).

But, this is merely a revenue generating scam by the district. Plain and simple. He is here, next to starbucks, busting only guys in ties, women in suits, generally not so threatening folks. He lets people jaywalk on every one of the other 6 crosswalks within his view, to include people with their strollers, headsets, and little kids in their arms. He isn't protecting anyone, he's merely a guy w/ a gun and radio, generating 250/hr for the government, nothing more. If he was really trying to uphold the law on this corner, he would do it on every corner within his eye shot. He gives out tickets and people behind him simply walk past, jaywalking...The offender, who is busted points, shouts says "hey look they doing it too" but he cares not...just head down..writing tickets. he calls people back in the middle of the intersection, causing them to stop, try to comprehend, and spend at least 3-5 seconds in the intersection. Is This protecting the public or generating revenue without any regards for safety?

It drizzled a little today. and the minute the drops came, he ran into his car until the drops stopped coming. Now he's back, o..and some sedan just blew by at 50 mph in the 25mph that 18th street is...

]]> By: Jamie http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2007/03/22/should-cops-spend-time-busting-jaywalkers/comment-page-1/#comment-3289 Jamie Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:27:29 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2007/03/22/should-cops-spend-time-busting-jaywalkers/#comment-3289 I'm neither here nor there on ticketing jaywalkers. If you're dumb enough to stroll across the street against the light with a cop standing there, you get what you deserve, but I'd rather they cops ticketed people who are actually causing a safety problem - like the 3rd car to run through the red light after it changes. I can't ever remember seeing someone pulled over in DC for running a red light, despite watching them do it right in front of a cop time after time. DC is perfectly content to rake in the bucks from the traffic cameras, but I think it would send a stronger message if people had even the slightest fear of police enforcing traffic violations. Which they currently don't. But anyway, I find the timing of this activity highly coincidental with several highly-publicized pedestrian fatalities at the hands of Metrobus drivers. Is the message here, it's your own damn fault, pedestrians? I'm neither here nor there on ticketing jaywalkers. If you're dumb enough to stroll across the street against the light with a cop standing there, you get what you deserve, but I'd rather they cops ticketed people who are actually causing a safety problem - like the 3rd car to run through the red light after it changes. I can't ever remember seeing someone pulled over in DC for running a red light, despite watching them do it right in front of a cop time after time. DC is perfectly content to rake in the bucks from the traffic cameras, but I think it would send a stronger message if people had even the slightest fear of police enforcing traffic violations. Which they currently don't.

But anyway, I find the timing of this activity highly coincidental with several highly-publicized pedestrian fatalities at the hands of Metrobus drivers. Is the message here, it's your own damn fault, pedestrians?

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