People are pretty upset about the dumb jaywalking tickets the LAPD has been handing out, and at least one group is now organizing a protest of the dancing variety.
Jaywalking tickets have irked Angelenos for a while now, especially because they don't make a lot of sense. You can get a ticket simply for stepping into the crosswalk during the countdown, even if that same countdown shows you that you have plenty of time to make it across. Recently, L.A. Councilman Mike Bonin asked the LAPD to explain the reasoning behind these tickets, saying that they "[defied] common sense."
On Saturday, June 20, a group is getting together to dance in the crosswalks of downtown L.A. While the event is called Jaydancing LA, they won't be illegally blocking intersections.
While we are protesting police targeting of people technically violating traffic laws, this action will be done entirely within the law. In other words, only enter a crosswalk to dance when you see the "walk" signal, and be out of the crosswalk by the time the counter reaches "0." Do not leave the crosswalk while you are dancing, and please respect and allow other people walking to keep moving.
The dancers will take to 7th Street from Figueroa to Main Street. The 7th Street Metro Center and surrounding areas are among the most heavily policed. In a case highlighted by the L.A. Times, this was were 22-year-old college student Eduardo Lopez was slapped with a $197 ticket for rushing across a crosswalk during the countdown to catch a bus to class.
You can register to attend this free event here.
