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When Boston outlawed jaywalking

Jaywalking ban

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can figure out when that happened and who these guys are. See it larger.

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Either that or he's badly overdressed.

I'm going to say 1966 for the year, based on the clothing and eyeglasses, which would probably make the guy seated on the left John Collins.

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The nameplate on there says John Collins, so I'm betting you're right in the ballpark.

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Clearly I need to borrow his eyeglasses.

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I'd guess at least two of them are Malcom X. They aren't wearing bow ties, though, so I could be wrong.

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None of those guys looks like Collins to me.
Top left reminds me of Speaker McCormack.

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The Police Offcier is carrying a white hat, worn by the BPD Traffic Division back then, so he probably is the Superintendent in charge of the BPD Traffic Division

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And nobody ever jaywalked in Boston again, the end.

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I once got called out by a cop for jaywalking in Lexington. Yes, I jaywalked in front of a cop. Clearly, a very stupid move on my part. I was so surprised, however, that a cop actually took notice that I stammered, "I just didn't think. I live in Boston...."

Cop immediately nodded his head, "Well, it's OK. Just don't jaywalk in Lexington."

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I think it's about time that dumb law is repealed.

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....with similar results.

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Yup, $1 for jaywalking. Do it 4+ times, and it will start costing you $2! The legal challenge is how to enforce a civil charge on people. Answer, you have to go to the courthouse to pay your $1. That's in the state law. If tickets were actually issued, perhaps they allow mailing it in. Sorry, I'm too lazy to dig up the MGL chapter and section right now, but others are welcome to.

Results are similar to non-enforcement of laws on cyclists, sine poena nulla lex - without enforcement, there is no law, though the jaywalking fine has more teeth for those who don't pay fines.

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http://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/Ti...

However, if you actually read it, you'll realize that this law does not do anything like "outlaw jaywalking" itself, but rather, it simply establishes a framework allowing local transportation departments to create regulations on pedestrians.

Curiously enough, the closest Boston ordinance I could find is one which only forbids "sauntering" or "loitering" in such a way to "obstruct travelers."

The term "jaywalking" is never mentioned. Though, it is slang of (relatively) recent vintage, so that might be expected.

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I think that was similar framework that existed for bike fines - cities and towns could create bylaws until 2009. Reportedly, Cambridge was the only one of 351 Mass communities to do so.

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I'd like to see the law against sauntering enforced. Personally, I'll jog across the street if it's holding up traffic, but all pedestrians should at least proceed across a crosswalk at a reasonable walking speed. Too many people do indeed saunter across; often while talking or texting; with no regard for everyone else they're forcing to wait. Let them saunter down to City Hall and pay a stiff sauntering fine!

Pressing the button to invoke a pedestrian signal, but then not waiting for it to change should also be a punishable offense. How many times have you stopped for a manually-invoked pedestrian phase, only to see the pedestrian who invoked it has has long since crossed the street and is now sauntering away in the distance?

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Don't think it applies to crosswalks, which are explicitly covered in state law, which supersedes city ordinances. Of course, I am not a lawyer, and I don't even think there's likely any case law to clarify all the ambiguities here, so whatever. And "sauntering" has a specific definition, which is basically: walking with no purpose.

Having said that, I don't think it's a problem. Most of the time I see pedestrians running scared across crosswalks even though they have the right of way. Or I see them waiting as car after car refuses to yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk. Drivers don't care that they are violating the law and forcing pedestrians to wait unlawfully. I look forward to the day when crosswalk law is actually enforced against the operators of dangerous vehicles. Until then, slow down, and relax. You're in a climate controlled environment with entertainment, and you'll get to your destination quickly regardless.

Also, pressing a button to invoke a pedestrian signal? Hahahaha. Those "beg" buttons are almost useless. BTD always makes sure that drivers get first priority over pedestrians. The button doesn't affect the same exact signal phasing, it simply changes the indicator icon from "Don't Walk" to "Walk" next time around. If even that.

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While we're at it, let's make a car turning right on red after invoking a green light (via conductive loop, laser, etc.), but not waiting for it to change a punishable offense, too! How many times have you stopped in a car / on a bike / as a pedestrian for an automatically-invoked green light for a car turning right, only to see the car which invoked it has has long since turned right and is now traveling away in the distance?

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[ X ] Yes
[ ] No

38b. If you answered YES to 38, please explain below:

A jury of my peers convicted me of two counts each of Flagrant Sauntering and Aggravated Perambulating.

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With a deadly weapon (shod foot).

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On inspection, it seems the sign their holding was paid for with help from the Schaeffer Brewing company.

It should probably say Drunk Walking is illegal. But when it didn't work they just tore down Scollay Square.

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Walking under the influence into the road is one of the largest causes of pedestrians getting hit by motor vehicles, along with wearing dark clothing at night. I'm not sure the new law made drunk pedestrians think twice before staggering into the road. BTW, prior to prohibition, alcohol taxes were the primary funding source of the federal government. Still seems to run on beer.

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"Walking under the influence into the road is one of the largest causes of pedestrians getting hit by motor vehicles, "

Nope, try again. 62% of pedestrians struck aren't even slightly drunk:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811625.pdf

This sign is probably part of the anti-pedestrian shaming campaigns of the early 1900's.

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-invention-of-ja...

Funny how we transitioned from a society where people could walk wherever they wanted, to a society where if you step out into the road, it's your own fault for getting hit by a driver, because suddenly drivers could go much faster than everything else.

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Unthinkable that someone who's too stupid to stay out of the way of a large motorized chunk of metal might be subject to ridicule.

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...that said large motorized chunks of metal are in the hands of operators who are usually just as stupid and careless as the people they're running into.

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All the more reason to keep out of their way.

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IMAGE(http://t.fod4.com/t/b2bbea455c/c480x270_44.jpg)
http://t.fod4.com/t/b2bbea455c/c480x270_44.jpg

(not sure why the inline IMG tag doesn't work)

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Funny take on it. Dated June 20, 1962.

It mentioned that Executive Secretary Robert S. Kretschmar of the AAA and other leaders were going to devote a year teaching "jaywalkers how to not be jaywalkers."

Perhaps Robert is one of the people with Mayor Collins. You can see images of him on Google images.

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Motor clubs, such as AAA, were particularly keen on stigmatizing pedestrians in order to make way for motor vehicles in cities. Prior to 1923, motor clubs tried to work with other Safety Council type groups, but for political reasons, they split after that and began their own efforts. Safety Councils (and police, at the time) were more interested in slowing down cars as a means towards safety -- speed kills they said -- but obviously that did not sit well with auto enthusiasts who felt that going fast was the point of owning a car.

Instead, motor clubs began focusing on ways to get pedestrians out of the streets, and that included a public relations campaign which first explained the new concept of "jaywalking" to the nation, and then pushed for legal enforcement against it. This picture is neat because it shows a later part of that same campaign: it says "Jaywalking is NOW illegal" and then this photo-op was staged for publicity.

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In a most prominent position behind the mayor's nameplate is a replica of Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch. The famous architect has two fabulous buildings at MIT, but I'm not sure of anything he did in Boston, with the possible exception of this Telephone Company building in Chinatown. I know that Saarinen did other work for the Bell System, and this building bears a striking resemblance to the MIT chapel, so I often wondered if this might be his too!

Note to Adam: Image tags still not working.
IMAGE(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3331/3272088887_5b287e43cb_z.jpg)

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..a.t MIT.. This I knew from a friend who is obsessed with architecture.

he also did the Kresge Auditorium at MIT, which I didn't know until I looked it up ;)

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I always liked that phone company building in Chinatown, just sitting there in it's shabby glory. Certainly seems like it could be a Saarinen.

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I don't mean the older part of the building at the corner of Essex and Harrison, but rather, the addition on the south side. On the fist level, it has the same brick arch with concrete footing motif as Saarinen's MIT chapel.

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Thanks for playing everyone! This photo was taken in the Mayor's Office at Old City Hall ca. 1962 (when Chapter 409 of the Acts of 1962 were pass by the state). Mayor Collins is NOT in this photo, instead Deputy Mayor Henry Scagnoli is pictured at the bottom right. We're unsure of the other city officials pictured, but perhaps you can help us out!

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The fellow seated to the right of the photo looks like Fire Commissioner George Paul. The Police Officer is definately from the Traffic Division, collar brass would make him a Captain I believe and the gentleman t=standing to the far left looks like City Councilor Charlie Ianello/

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