From: Benjamin.Kubelsky@verizon.net   
      
   On 6/22/2014 11:01 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   > Benjamin.Kubelsky  wrote:   
   >> On 6/21/2014 9:25 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   >>> Stephen Sprunk  wrote:   
   >>>> On 21-Jun-14 23:15, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   >>>>> hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
   >   
   >>>>>> By the way, transit companies lead the way in the 1920s for better   
   >>>>>> pedestrian safety, such as crossing in crosswalks and not jay   
   >>>>>> walking.   
   >   
   >>>>> Sigh. Crossing other than at a crosswalk is not jaywalking. It's   
   >>>>> perfectly legal and safe to cross between intersections upon   
   >>>>> yielding to traffic; that's not jaywalking.   
   >   
   >>>> Perhaps it's legal in your state. . . .   
   >   
   >>> It's legal everywhere but Texas. Yes, I should have qualified as Texas   
   >>> is always special.   
   >   
   >> As I learned decades ago in traffic school, in California it is legal to   
   >> cross the street mid-block except:   
   >   
   >> On divided highways (where there's a median island)   
   >> or between two traffic lights where there is no cross street between the   
   >> lights. Not the best description, I know. Simply, if there is a traffic   
   >> light at each end of the block, you can't cross mid-block.   
   >   
   > Is "block" defined as a specific distance, or any length of highway with   
   > no intersections? No pedestrian can be expected to walk any significant   
   > distance out of his way like that.   
   >   
      
   As it was explained to me, it is any length of highway with no   
   intersections. The distinction, is that if the next intersection in   
   either direction has a signal light, you can't cross in the middle. If   
   there's an UNSIGNALED intersection between the two signals, you are okay   
   unless otherwise prohibited.   
      
      
   > I guess I don't see why it should be prevented on a divided highway, given   
   > that the median actually gives the pedestrian a refuge. It's fun crossing   
   > a busy street without a median, having to stand in the middle of the street   
   > till traffic in the other direction clears.   
   >   
      
   Indeed. I regularly do both, but the median on the major street near me   
   has some low ivy like shrubbery, dirt in other places, some raised beds   
   in the middle and many sprinkler heads that are easy to trip on. One   
   MUST watch one's step! But it is a whole lot faster than walking 2   
   streets over to where the light is, waiting forever for the light, and   
   then walking 2 streets back.   
      
      
   >> Oh, and of course, you must yield to traffic.   
   >   
   > Yes: The pedestrian yielding to traffic is what makes it not jaywalking;   
   > jaywalking is failure to yield to traffic with right of way.   
   >   
      
   As far as I'm concerned, yes. But the exception above is the law here.   
   Oh there are other laws as Larry referenced that a pedestrian generally   
   has the right of way over cars. That applies at intersections where   
   there are crosswalks "either marked or unmarked" as the Driver's   
   handbook has stated since 1978 and most likely before. If some dude   
   steps off the curb at a corner where it is otherwise legal to cross, you   
   are supposed to stop, even though the pedestrian didn't wait for it to   
   be safe. Every so often, the local cops in various cities go on a   
   "enforcement" spree, otherwise known as a ticket writing party, usually   
   targeting particular intersections, often near a school. But sometimes,   
   just an ordinary intersection where there has been a rash of injuries or   
   deaths.   
      
      
   >> All of the above are widely ignored, and rarely enforced.   
      
   Still true, my previous statement above notwithstanding.   
      
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