Man busted for installing DIY crosswalk
Marilyn sez, "A father in Muncie, Indiana was tired of cars that didn't stop at the stop signs at the intersection outside his house, so he asked the city to make a crosswalk. The city refused, so he painted his own, and got arrested for criminal mischief."
Link (Thanks, Marilyn!)"I used spray paint on the outline, and went to Wal-Mart, where they had a sale on ... white paint and rolled it out," he said.
Stump said he didn't hear about the second charge right away, causing him to miss a court appearance. Because he missed his court date, he spent 10 hours in jail.
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I can't decide whether that's authoritarian overreach or not -- but good for him for taking matters into his own hands, and I hope he enjoys his fifteen minutes.
Also, I was born in Muncie, which the Smithsonian Magazine once used as an illustrative example of the word "armpit", as in "Muncie is the armpit of Indiana." Which is demonstrably unfair, as that's Gary. My English teacher in high school (who actually took the Smithsonian Magazine, and lives in Muncie) was outraged. Ha.
I'm finding it unreasonably funny that the tag on this is "happy mutants".
Reminds me of Richard Ankrom's work in Los Angeles installing signs so helpful and realistic, not even Caltrans noticed for almost a year:
http://ankrom.org/freeway_signs.html
I have been tempted to install speed bumps on my road. I'm in a small residential neighborhood with lots of kids.
Still A-holes drive down the street like it's a superhighway day and night.
Since I'm not built to survive hard time in the clink, I may have to refrain.
My elementary school principal did something like that... they'd just repaved the road in front of the school and someone from the roads department (?) came out and spray painted markings on the road so that the road painting crew (?) would know where to paint. The principal decided that the school would benefit from an additional crosswalk, so he grabbed a can of spray paint and made one. Sure enough, the painters went ahead and made it.
Years ago one of my neighbors got fed up with people parking in front of the wheelchair ramp built into the corner/curb in front of our building, so he got some yellow paint and painted the the curb, including a yellow triangular outline on the street to show where you shouldn't park. Very professional looking, I suspect unless your were a state or city worker you wouldn't know the difference. Although it is a bit "nanny-ish" there are a lot of handicapped people in my neighborhood, so I guess I applaud him for the work. I haven't noticed that it stops people from parking there very much though.
(and a thanks to #2 CHALRESV for posting the Ankrom link-- I was thinking about his sign, but couldn't remember his name.)
Why would the city refuse to put in a crosswalk? Even in CHICAGO, if residents ask for something, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg or offend anyone, it usually gets done? WTF?
VitaminCM @4,
Right on- I've been tempted to do the same thing in my neighborhood. Every single person on my block has pets or young kids, and people routinely do nearly double the speed limit.
I find it interesting that a recent Boing Boing post about someone getting in trouble for breaking planning laws in the UK met with comments (presumably mainly from Americans) along the lines of "British people are slaves". I don't think this post will meet with comments from non-American posters saying "Americans are all slaves". Senseless bureaucracy is a global phenomenon, and those who only draw attention to it when it happens in a foreign country are easy prey. Solidarity is the answer, not petty nationalistic sniping.
Happily, we can blame the lawyers (as usual). Suppose you were riding your custom $50,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle down the street and your front wheel washes out on the corner - right where that new, unofficial paint was. Well then,you can imagine the results.
Takuan's got it right unfortunately. As much as I approve of DIY traffic planning, there are legal ramifications for this kind of thing. Some of my friends got their apartment searched after their prankster neighbors decided to paint their own crosswalk last year.
Sounds like this municipality really needs to get its shit together.
Back in 1986, Sam Steiger, a former U.S. Congressman in Prescott, Arizona was arrested for painting his own crosswalk from the county courthouse to "Whiskey Row" across the street.
Takuan has it right? I had assumed Takuan was joking. Because I'm not seeing a whole lot of Harleys washing out on crosswalks, so I fail to see the inherent danger in paint.
Of course, after 9/11 everything's different. Americans are slaves.
I guess teaching your kids not to play in the street wouldn't be a good option, huh?
that depends on the street. Downtown Tokyo? Porkelbow, Iowa?
This guy did it in Holland, MA. Kind of a butthead who makes up his own rules and drives the town nuts.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-167232186.html
you miss the point. Like most things lawyers touch, there doesn't have to be any reality or actual merit to it. The simple fact that the paint is "unofficial"paint is enough.
A number of years ago, an art grad student at UNLV painted his own crosswalk over to the cafe directly across the street from the fine arts building. Unfortunately a few nights later, another student who thought it was a "real" crosswalk was killed after being run over by a driver who did not know of the unoffical crosswalk. So, while DIY seems like a good solution, there can be tragic results.
Here's where I get hung up on this thing: If they don't stop for stop signs, what in the hell makes him think they'll stop for a crosswalk?
The Germans have a better way of dealing with this kind of thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvvPFu3aibU
We surely can't have everyone making up their own traffic lines now can we?
wow, them Germans!
Hoosiers are all slaves!
To all you meatspace hackers considering adding speed bumps - PLEASE make sure cars can go over them at the advised speed limit without lurching up and crashing back down. There are a few unassuming-looking "speed humps" on the FAU campus that might as well be curbs.
Anyone who's not an ubermensch are all slaves!
This man, and all of you who support him, are clearly confused. Cars are primary, not people.
Our public spaces need to modified without limit to ensure the optimal operation of motorized vehicles. What are you doing outside anyway? Highly suspicious.
Takuan is correct about the justification that the city will likely use, but it's bullcrap.
City workers use spray paint on streets and sidewalks all the time, I'd be very curious to see an accident where it was the culprit.
This is a citizen who was ignored by the city spending his own time and money to better his neighborhood. What's really disturbing is hearing the guy in the video link talk about public property like the government is some private landowner. It's our property!
I was thinking of going around the neighborhood putting one-way arrow signs on all the side streets.
Most side streets around here have 2 traffic lanes and a parking lane, which is great until it snows ten or so inches.
yes, michael, you missed the point.
The point being: If somebody doesn't respect the DIY crosswalk, and that leads to injuries, then there are legal ramifications for that.
No it won't happen, but it's still something that the authorities feel they need to take care of. Unlike getting crosswalks added to dangerous intersections, apparently.
...The real question here is what bullshit justification the Muncie city council had for denying the request. Whenever a city government refuses to take action that will benefit the community, it's usually for really petty reasons.
I asked one of my City Councilors if we could get a speed bump on my block and she said, "No. We ran out of them last week."
Good ol' hometown Muncie, IN creativity. I like it.
Good to see things back in my hometown just as weird as ever.
RayPower's post:
A number of years ago, an art grad student at UNLV painted his own crosswalk over to the cafe directly across the street from the fine arts building. Unfortunately a few nights later, another student who thought it was a "real" crosswalk was killed after being run over by a driver who did not know of the unoffical crosswalk. So, while DIY seems like a good solution, there can be tragic results.
---
Legally painted or illegally painted, the crosswalk was completely visible to anyone who was driving with his/her eyes open.
Not to mention, if he didn't notice a crosswalk, he should have noticed the person in the street.
Anyone who's not an ubermensch are all slaves!
Leave it to Bazilisk to invoke Neitzche in the context of this banal subject! Only on BB.
On a slightly different slant: Why do large parking lots use the same color paint for all their parking stalls? (Besides saving a few bucks, I mean.) If they painted the stall-lines in each bank a different color, many parkers would remember their color and then have an easier time navigating back to their car after they'd got done shopping, or watching the spectacle, or whatever.
Even better, or in addition, they should paint a little icon (using a sort of rubber-stamp or template) just outside each stall--a different sort of icon for each bank.
An entrepreneurial painting contractor or a random-acts-of-kindness person should do this one night at some big-box store's lot. In a day or two he could approach the manager and compliment him on his thoughtfulness. That way it might spread throughout the chain.
(Good luck trying to persuade the wet blankets at chain headquarters to implement this! It's better to Just Do It. ("What would Nietzsche do?")
Li Mom @ 33: "Legally painted or illegally painted, the crosswalk was completely visible to anyone who was driving with his/her eyes open."
Great in theory. In practice, not realistic. If you're driving at night typical spray paint will not be very visible-- and even the special paint that they use for street markings can be hard to see on a wet night. If you didn't already know that the crosswalk was there, it would be very easy to miss under many circumstances. There's a reason why cities put up "Traffic Revision Ahead" or similar warning signs when they make a change.
"Not to mention, if he didn't notice a crosswalk, he should have noticed the person in the street."
Generally, yes. But there's a reason why drivers (who are legally required to yield to pedestrians even if they are crossing illegally) are frequently not cited in car/ped accidents. What were the weather conditions? Was the ped talking on their phone and not paying attention? Did the person just run out without looking? Was the unauthorized crosswalk located badly, for example in the middle of a blind corner? All of these factors and plenty more affect whether the driver should reasonably have been able to yield. The presence of the unauthorized crosswalk doesn't necessarily factor into the safety of any of these possibilities, but you can be absolutely certain that it will be mentioned in the lawsuit that's sure to follow.
I'm not arguing for or against the unauthorized crosswalk, just against blaming the driver in a situation where we have absolutely no idea of the actual circumstances. I will say that done badly-- especially if it's not located properly-- an unauthorized crosswalk could actually make things more dangerous, not safer.
The letter of the law should not be /flaunted/, but in the interest of the /spirit/ of the law, discreetly look the other way!
Looks like he succeeded in retaining the zebra crossing around his neck though.