Street talk about jaywalking

"Why didn't the government consult the public before launching this regulation? Why didn't they ask the people's opinion on this issue? I didn't know about this rule until the day the police started to ticket jaywalkers.

We shouldn't jaywalk, of course, but I think Beijing residents have the right to participate in the legislative process. There are so many people jaywalking all over the city. I just wonder if there are enough police to make this work.

I doubt that the traffic police will be able to catch and fine all the jaywalkers, and if that's the case, what's the point of this regulation?

It reminds me of the yellow light policy (where running a yellow light became equal to running a red, costing drivers 6 penalty points on their license - 12 points meant that their license was suspended). That rule was deeply unpopular with the public and was suspended after just six days.

I don't think the jaywalking regulation will work, or last long. It was probably just made up on a whim by a group of officials."

Cui Fei, 28, Beijing resident

"I have traveled in 30 countries, and none has traffic as crazy as Beijing. The traffic situation in Beijing is either complete gridlock or a total free-for-all, with very little in between. My wife Shari and I discussed the notion of ticketing jaywalkers in Beijing and it made us laugh.

In California, where I live, there are laws against jaywalking, but they are seldom enforced. California has its share of crazy drivers too, but for the most part when a pedestrian is crossing the street we tend to give them the right of way, especially if they are on a crosswalk, and certainly if they have a green light.

In Beijing, there was one occasion where my wife grabbed me by the collar and pulled me back to stop me getting run down by a car making a right turn - and this was on a crosswalk where the light was in my favor! Anywhere else in the world, it would be clear that I had right of way.

From what I saw in Beijing, if there are pedestrian safety issues, the problem lies more with the drivers than pedestrians, and it doesn't matter if they are jaywalking or not."

Gary Deghi, 60, a biologist from the United States