Considering that rape, armed robbery and murder are some of the crimes that ravish Los Angeles daily, I, for one, am pleased to see that the Los Angeles Police Department has stepped up its efforts against another criminal horror – jaywalking in Westwood.
Imagine Westwood overrun by jaywalking students. Traffic would be stopped up, cars couldn’t get through to go to work, no one would want to come to Westwood to shop and produce might even rot in an unrefrigerated Ralphs truck before it has a chance to be saved! It would be complete and utter anarchy.
Not only that, but people would be physically hurt – namely the jaywalkers themselves. It comforts me to see that our police department has decided to prioritize the safety of these law-breaking citizens.
Admittedly I have not always felt this way. A little over a month ago, I was one of those jaywalkers. I heedlessly crossed Gayley Avenue without noticing any potential trouble, including the cop situated near me. As I broke into a run, the adrenaline pumping, I heard the soft whir of the motorcycle cop. I was caught.
Bitter as I may have been then, the $75 ticket was worth the life-changing experience. For years prior, I had always felt the government was wasting its time ticketing jaywalkers. I didn’t consider the financial or ethical implications.
First off, police departments need more money. Where should they get this money? The law-breaking citizens, of course. They should charge those who require their services. Hence, jaywalkers must support the cops since they create the need for them.
Secondly, individuals should not have the right to make potentially harmful decisions. If someone wants to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, they cannot. If he wants to cross the street without a crosswalk, he cannot. With the exception of some of our politicians, we do have the right to be stupid.
And we shouldn’t. Our own stupidity can infect the planet in incalculable ways, and I for one am grateful to have that freedom revoked.
Woo is a fifth-year history student.