Jaywalking

Jaywalking is a form of crossing a street by not following the crosswalk. People crossing the street, known as pedestrians, can get a fine or time in prison for jaywalking in some states and cities.

Origin

In 1905, people used to call carriages or cars that drove on the wrong side of the road "jays", instead of people not following the crosswalk in some places in Kansas. This soon also applied to pedestrians a few years later. In 1915, police in New York wanted to make the term more known. In 1925, the first known event of a person being punished for jaywalking occured.

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