|
Crossing the street against red light or in the middle of a block is called jaywalking.
( W! Y z' d) a3 l+ _First of all it is illegal.0 C4 i( v/ N, j. q( [* A# s- n
Secondly it is dangerous.7 ]5 }7 ~1 q/ w6 p" W8 {# C
If the traffic is light and there is no police around to stop you,! K! R: H$ F$ S8 o( k) j1 a8 A* ^/ ~
most of the time there is no problem.
U' |, t/ ^7 O. j" ?
( o8 D0 i: n1 z4 _# Q9 r6 J. J( ^I am no angel. I also jaywalk.4 W/ I2 H% w' O1 a, d8 r/ ~
I do it when there is no car in sight for a couple of blocks.( u- v, M% n" b+ B' c
I look left and right to make sure that it is safe before crossing.: p( r2 p" }2 p& \8 ?5 v
If the traffic is heavy, I won't even try.
8 Y' X2 |7 P! D
$ b) T) G& H. k, Q4 vUnfortunately a lot of people who jaywalk are careless.: ~; u9 X+ o# i9 F2 S
They don't check how far or how fast the oncoming cars are.2 Y$ ?, q# J. s1 h. [3 g+ s
They just look ahead and cross the street assuming that ( ]$ d/ [% \; _, V, v; d
the oncoming cars must slow down or stop for them.3 w- w! m9 V. R. D" Z- ~
They might get away with that a hundred times, a thousand times.
4 o5 c; n: P4 W* Q7 o% f: |% Z: _Sadly one day they'll pay a big price.
& y' ]# b# B, H , G" @# g/ Y3 j& k2 _( q5 |
One morning several years ago, a colleaque jaywalked on busy Rene Levesque street,
8 Q9 y" Y! ^! djust in front of a church near Peel street.4 z9 P* w3 H5 q7 |
He probably did the same thing every morning many, many times before.! ]$ N' l! G: M+ L1 f. N
On that day, he dropped his briefcase, so he stepped back and picked it up." j1 ~( Z! s& j7 V6 H
Right in that moment, a taxi hit him. y) f' e# c7 S9 I b
8 [2 ~! X& Q2 S% L1 |
He died in the hospital on the same day.+ p$ I7 u# u" ~ n! K
h! Q+ C# e4 N7 E0 HHe was an information system manager.
8 {0 I; n$ e- ?8 i/ R8 Z1 M" m& ]He was an athlete, running marathon, playing baseball, helping out in charity events.
+ v6 J1 x& P0 E S7 D& wHe has everything going for him.
, h" b$ j& d/ G0 g# h( s" |
& y6 f" r! S7 k0 Y8 uOne little convenience.
! {( A' h1 I9 p5 Y4 eOne little mistake.
4 H' j. W2 D, H# k4 O! f0 F, ?# I 4 ?# O$ p, c) p7 R$ l7 w
He left behind a wife, 3 young kids. |
|