Have you been caught jaywalking?
By secretbear
@secretbear (19448)
Philippines
February 13, 2007 12:09am CST
I was in college and graduating when all of it happened. We just came from an orientation regarding our graduation ceremony and were heading to the mall, crossing the streets, when a local traffic enforcer(?) approached us, told us we were jaywalking and should pay the fine. She brought us to a nearby table with a woman writing in a booklet of receipts and a lot of people around it, some were with the woman and the others seemed to be offenders. We started questioning why we were charged with the offense while we know that we crossed the right streets. The woman said it was a "no pedestrian" street and we should have known that since there was a sign board and pointed at a yellow signboard BEHIND a lot of parked cars. We started arguing because we knew we were being fooled since we did not saw that stupid signboard and we have been crossing that street, like, throughout our lives! One concerned passer-by whispered to us that that "traffic enforcer team" really are local enforcers but they seldom do their duty whenever they feel like to. That enrages us more coz we hate people like them. We tried to escape but there was a huge man who stopped us and told us unless we pay, we're not going anywhere and they are going to take us into the municipal hall and have a police record. Seeing no other choice, we stupidly paid and went away. We went to a nearby radio station and reported what happened. It turned out that there a lot of same reports but the local officials never do anything about it. So along with a reporter, we headed back hoping to catch those "irregular" traffic enforcers. But alas, they were no longer there. Bummer. Only half an hour had passed and they were no longer there! The table which looked so heavy was also gone with the wind. And we felt so tricked. We were live interviewed by the reporter and when i got home, i was surprised to learn that we became instant celebrities. ^__^;; it seemed after all, that many people listen to afternoon programs on the radio.***
5 people like this
13 responses
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
12 Sep 07
Nope. I rarely if ever do it. No one seems to really care around here unless you are purposefully getting in the way of traffic. Do that, and you'll catch up on all the latest swear words from irritated motorists. A few of them might symbolize that you are number 1.
3 people like this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
12 Sep 07
LOL i know that sign. ^__^;;
we were just unfortunate then that we came across those darned "traffic volunteers". its like the last unlucky event that we have go through before graduating. LOL
1 person likes this
@brendakaya (2332)
• United States
12 Sep 07
I don't think they pay as much attention to jaywalking in this small town, as they did years ago. I was crossing the street, a few days ago, not in the crosswalk, and I looked up. and there was a cop there, and he stopped snd motioned me to go on. lol I thought, when I first saw him, that I might get a ticket or a talking to, and it surprised me when he let me go. Maybe I just looked to pitiful to mess with. lol
2 people like this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
12 Sep 07
you're lucky he stopped you before even before you crossed that road. in our case, those opportunists let us cross first the road before they told us it is prohibited to. it was like they are letting people break the law so that they have people to issue tickets and have them pay it. that's how rotten it is here sometimes. ^__^;;
1 person likes this
@chiyosan (30186)
• Philippines
22 Mar 08
I have been caught violating this one, if it is jaywalking or what, a jeepney driver dropped me off on a no unloading waiting shed!!
The lady officer caught me by surprise and i was like.. what the heck?! where is the sign?!
There was no sign... i never gave any information to the lady too i told her she was wasting my time and i would be calling a friend who works for a tv news station if se will not let me go cause there was really no sign that i couldnt get off that particular shed! She told me everyone in the city knew about that.. i am not from there! Silly woman! She wanted my id, i told her i did not have any. haha
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
23 Mar 08
what a brave thing to say! do you really have a friend working in a television network? ^__^;; its really annoying when you are caught for something that you are unaware of. and they would insist that there was a sign but its not displayed properly and it would be your fault if you didn't see it! c'mon. its like blaming other people for their own fault.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
7 Sep 07
I jaywalked many of times, and I still do, but have not gotten a ticket. Mind you, it depends on what city you are in. I have heard that some cities are very strict, and you have to go to the corner, but where I am some of the streets are so long and our city used to be a series of smaller cities so there is a cross street on one side, and none of the other side. If one is running to catch a bus, usually the police do not bother giving you a ticket anyways.
2 people like this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
11 Sep 07
as far as i can remember, the police back then were not strict there. we were just so unfortunate that we chanced upon those opportunists who do their job when they feel like too and just want to collect money from the public. they were pathetic but we couldnt do anything against the big ugly guy. ^__^;;
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
7 Feb 08
you're right. I believe in karma too. whatever comes around goes around. ^__^
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
7 Feb 08
maybe they were apprehending violators on a whim and doing their job only if they feel like doing it. that's what those craps were doing when they caught us and forced us to pay while they were letting other pedestrians to cross the darn street. it was our unlucky day, both of us. ^.^
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
12 Sep 07
yeah.. jaywalking is a small crime but even if it is, committing it is kinda dangerous because you put your life into risk. when you jaywalk it means you are crossing in the wrong part of the road and could cause you an accident or something. when we crossed that road, it seemed so safe because there were few cars passing by, and many other people are crossing there. ^__^
@sweetgirl_k1 (3972)
• United States
13 Sep 07
I have done that lots of times and nobody has ever said anything to me. I think they should be more worried about people that are out killing and stealing from people and not worry about if someone is not crossing the right street or not crossing it at the cross walk or whatever. I would have been so mad especially since you couldn't even see the sign.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
we were so mad alright. we felt like we were outwitted and we couldn't do anything because they were so many of them and they have a big guy! I just wisj they were still there when we got back there together with the radio announcer.
@wisedragon (2325)
• Philippines
7 Feb 08
Nope, I haven't been caught jaywalking. I make it a point to use pedestrian overpasses/underpasses or at least a pedestrian crossing lane. It's for my own safety. The best weapon against a traffic enforcer is if you've done nothing wrong.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
8 Feb 08
well yeah. but during that time there were other pedestrians crossing that road so we thought it was okay to cross there.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
12 Sep 07
Wait - were they legitimate law enforcers? I would have called someone to come take a picture of the sign - behind parked cars - people do that and get out of parking tickets when signs are covered and then let them take me in. Call their bluff. Glad you went to radio station - that's just wrong.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
12 Sep 07
I think they were legitimate. but the irritating thing is that they never do it regularly, they do their job when they feel like plus, they hide the stupid sign so people would be unknowningly breaking the ordinance and they can collect ticket fees. we really did went into a nearby radio station and asked for help. we went back to the site with a reporter using their service vehicle and voila! the crooks are gone. ^__^;;
1 person likes this
@joshboz (1209)
• Australia
26 Sep 07
i have been caught once but the policeman did not send me to jail rather he sermon me and give me warning about jaywalking. today, im a very responsible citizen in my community and i dont jaywalk anymore.i will always find the nearest pedestrian lane to cross the street.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
you're lucky he didnt put you to jail nor he did make you pay some kind of a fee. that's the way it is supposed to be right? since jaywalking is a minor offense, the first penalty should be a warning only right?... we were very unlucky that we chanced upon opportunists.
@rouwel23 (1353)
• Philippines
13 Sep 07
I was caught jaywalking once before. I paid the price for jaywalking. the price at that time was still 50 pesos.
I do not know what is the current price now.
the policeman who captured me told me he whistled to allow me to stop and retreat my path. but I did not heard him whistle so he pursued to caught me.
there was indeed a sign in that street. I watched left and right to see if there was a traffic enforcer but found none.
however, the traffic enforcer was hiding and once I crossed the street, the enforcer came into view.
I paid the price for disobeying traffic rules.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
26 Sep 07
at least the traffic enforcer gave you a warning. we never heard anything, they just let us cross the d*mn street and told us we jaywalked after we got to the other side.
and that's what's wrong with them, they never bother to see if the signs are being blocked by cars or anything. it should always be visible to all pedestrians.
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
11 Feb 08
LOL it was kinda surreal when the reporter was interviewing us. i've always thought that news aren't real unless they happen to me and that day, it happened to me but it still felt unreal. ^__^;;
@asliah (11137)
• Philippines
24 Mar 13
i am so thankful because even until now i still never been caught for jaywalking because before i across on the road i will look first if there are some posters saying that no jaywalking,then if it has i will not pass by,but if there is no cop to see me yes i will across.
1 person likes this
