Guess who got a ticketed warning for not pushing the walk button this morning?On a dead-end street with only an alley outlet, where construction has blocked the sidewalk access to other routes. And while I stood there yes, arguing with the motorcycle cop, another person ON HER PHONE did the same thing. Not because she was being a scofflaw (though technically she was as was I) but because who the hell stops, pushes a button, and waits at a dead-end street that gets maybe 50 cars a day total, all turning into the parking garage at the dead-end? I've seen maybe two cars on that road in the two years I've walked 2x daily across it.
"Are you in a hurry, ma'am?"
"Yes. I have 45 seconds to get to that crosswalk there to push the walk button before the next light cycle, since I can't walk on the sidewalk after that due to all the construction going on."
"Construction takes time, ma'am."
"I'm going to do this again. I'm not standing there in the sun at a road with no cars."
"Then next time you'll get a real ticket."
Oh boy. Is it worth hundreds of dollars in jaywalking tickets to refuse to cave into an incredibly stupid rule? This reminds me of the time I was willing to be jailed for refusing to bribe a security officer in Congo. FOR FIVE BUCKS I could walk onto the plane. FOR FREE, I could risk going to jail in Kinshasa of all places. Of course, this is actually legal here, just stupid. I don't do stupid well.
Bonus! Two people from the office spotted this event and called me as soon as I got to work. Ha ha...the humiliation.
Burbank. What a ridiculous place. Charmingly eccentric, yes, but also quite absurd in how it incentivizes driving over walking. Blocked-off sidewalks where the options put the walker at risk. Bicycles sharing the walk with pedestrians because the streets are dangerous. Walk signs that don't automatically change without a person pushing the disgusting button. Motorcycle police pulling over walkers. Gotta keep Burbank safe for cars, you know!
1 comment:
That is ridiculous.
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