Over here in Europe many people (especially me) just ignore the regulations completely and cross streets pretty much anywhere it looks safe (and not only). Even wide streets, even when there are cars around. Not sure what the exact rules are but the police generally pay no attention at all. Tried doing it in Taiwan once (zero traffic around) and found myself getting an angry lecture from the cops. Culture is a funny thing.
this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2025
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Where I live (Canada), IIRC it's completely legal to cross anywhere you want, but bigger stroads will have fences in the median and the culture generally prioritizes driver convenience above all else. Pedestrians will often run across crossings when a car is waiting, which always makes me cringe.
You should fight to have the laws changed nonetheless. You never know when they will decide to weaponize them again.
I think it's one of the fundamental binary splits between cultures (another is whether your choice of shoes matters). My first time in Europe, I was sternly spoken to in Munich by a woman as I was crossing a narrow street. With no traffic anywhere in sight. At 2 AM.
In Tangier, on the other hand, just wade out into it and go with the flow.
Ha! Many will relate to your German anecdote. In Germany my rule is Just don't do it in front of children. Apparently many Germans feel obliged to lecture transgressors if kids see their bad example but might let it go otherwise. Funny!
But Germany really is an odd outlier in Europe. Something to do with Prussian militarism or something, there are lots of theories. The nextdoor Dutch are completely relaxed and let's not even talks about the Italians.
If it's illegal in the UK, it's seldom enforced. You're encouraged to cross where it's safe, and motorists are required to stop for people in crosswalks, but you don't get ticketed unless what you've done endangers yourself or others. So people cross streets wherever they like, and there is no sign (besides English cooking) that civilization is on the verge of collapse. And even English cooking has improved massively in the past couple of generations.
Edit: Jaywalking in an offence in Northern Ireland. The rest of the UK, it's a much looser system.
Try to cross a road on red light on 2:00 (AM). I heard (anecdotal evidence) that some people got a ticket, easy target.