Police Clamp Down on Jaywalking Offenders

Should jaywalking be a crime worthy of public humiliation? In Shanghai it would seem a debate of formidable proportions.

It will now be common practice in Shanghai for the police to post photos and videos of jaywalkers in newspapers and on television! According to news sources, this represents an attempt to bring public shame upon jaywalking offenders in the hopes of preventing them from breaking traffic rules in the future.

The Shanghai Daily stated that offending pedestrians, moped riders and cyclists will be photographed at selected city intersections and their images then posted on television programs especially set up by the police. Lawyers have protested this steep punishment and have threatened defamation lawsuits, but so far, none have been initiated.

One local lawyer, Liu Chunquan, told the press:

“It’s a principle of law that a penalty should match the seriousness of the crime.”

It would appear that jaywalking is more than a crime; it is a way of life in many Chinese cities. In Shanghai alone, traffic police recorded 7.78 million jaywalking violations in the first eight months of 2008.

What’s next?

The execution of jaywalkers who still refuse to stop?