Why Crossing The Street Illegally Is Called 'Jaywalking'
- 9 years ago
The word 'Jaywalking' was popularized in the 1920s as a way to make fun of pedestrians who walked in the way of motor vehicles.
Jaywalking is a term used to talk about pedestrians crossing the street when the light is red, or not in a designated crosswalk.
The word originated in the early twentieth century reportedly appearing in a 1909 issue of the Chicago Tribune, along with an article from the New York Times published in 1915, and a 1917 edition of Harper’s Magazine.
At this time, calling someone a jay was an insulting way to refer to country people that moved to the city and were unaccustomed to the bright lights and action.
So people who didn’t know how to cross a busy street were called jaywalkers.
The word was popularized in the 1920s as a way to make fun of pedestrians who walked in the way of motor vehicles.
Peter Norton, a history professor at the University of Virginia is quoted as saying: "The newspaper coverage quite suddenly changes, so that in 1923 they're all blaming the drivers, and by late 1924 they're all blaming jaywalking."
Some countries have laws against jaywalking notably the United States but others are following suit, and last year police in parts of China began enforcement.
The United Kingdom however, does not hand out tickets for jaywalking, and according to one statistic, there are about half the pedestrian fatalities compared to the US.
Jaywalking is a term used to talk about pedestrians crossing the street when the light is red, or not in a designated crosswalk.
The word originated in the early twentieth century reportedly appearing in a 1909 issue of the Chicago Tribune, along with an article from the New York Times published in 1915, and a 1917 edition of Harper’s Magazine.
At this time, calling someone a jay was an insulting way to refer to country people that moved to the city and were unaccustomed to the bright lights and action.
So people who didn’t know how to cross a busy street were called jaywalkers.
The word was popularized in the 1920s as a way to make fun of pedestrians who walked in the way of motor vehicles.
Peter Norton, a history professor at the University of Virginia is quoted as saying: "The newspaper coverage quite suddenly changes, so that in 1923 they're all blaming the drivers, and by late 1924 they're all blaming jaywalking."
Some countries have laws against jaywalking notably the United States but others are following suit, and last year police in parts of China began enforcement.
The United Kingdom however, does not hand out tickets for jaywalking, and according to one statistic, there are about half the pedestrian fatalities compared to the US.