Stop in the name of the law
So, apparently Chicago cops are going to start posing as pedestrians to catch drivers who refuse to yield at crosswalks. Ok.
“In the stings, an officer dressed in civilian clothing will enter the crosswalk to cross the street as a vehicle approaches from 140 feet away, officials said. That provides adequate stopping distance based on the 30 m.p.h. speed limit on most streets, officials said. The intersections are not controlled by traffic signals or stop signs, but state and city ordinances require drivers to yield to people in the crosswalk.” [Chicago Tribune]
Ok, good idea in theory… I suppose. I get as mad as the next guy when a car comes hurtling down the street, assuming that I will scamper to safety before it crashes into my tiny body. (Hence, I run like an idiot at every crosswalk). Once you’ve been flipped off by a big guy in a Hummer on Howard for crossing during a “Walk” sign, you tend to lose patience.
But really? What if the car hits the cop? Doesn’t this seem kind of dangerous? Maybe? Just a little? And it also begs the question: If you hit the cop, do you get a double citation? Failure to yield to a pedestrian and assaulting an officer. Eh, CPD. I just don’t know.
