Elderly U.S. Woman Ticketed For Crossing Street Too Slowly

Getting fined for walking too slow, ridiculous!

 

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An 82-year-old woman received a ticket for the equivalent of $130 Cdn for taking too long to cross a street.

 

Mayvis Coyle said she began shuffling with her cane across a busy road when the light was green, but was unable to make it to the other side before it turned red.

 

She said the motorcycle officer who ticketed her on Feb. 15 told her she was obstructing traffic.

 

"I think it's completely outrageous," said Coyle, who described herself as a Cherokee medicine woman. "He treated me like a six-year-old, like I don't know what I'm doing."

 

Los Angeles police Sgt. Mike Zaboski said police are cracking down on people who improperly cross streets because pedestrian accidents are above normal. He said he could not comment on Coyle's ticket other than to say that it is her word against that of the citing officer.

 

"I'd rather not have angry pedestrians," Zaboski said. "But I'd rather have them be alive."

 

Others, however, supported Coyle's contention that the light in question does not give people enough time to cross the five-lane boulevard.

 

"I can go halfway, then the light changes," said Edith Krause, 78, who uses an electric cart because she has difficulty walking.

 

On Friday, the light changed too quickly even for high-school students to make it across without running. It went from green to red in 20 seconds.

 

Councilwoman Wendy Greuel said she has asked transportation officials to figure out how to accommodate elderly people.

 

"We should look at those areas with predominantly seniors and accommodate their needs in intersections" she said.

 

Source: Yahoo! Canada News

 

This is the most stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Speeding, I can say, but walking too slowly??

 

 

xboxrulz

Getting fined for walking too slow, ridiculous!

Source: Yahoo! Canada News

 

This is the most stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Speeding, I can say, but walking too slowly??

xboxrulz

 

 

 

Wow, That's hilarious.

Unbelievable, as the police chief said its the ticketing officers word against Mrs Coyles but with the reports of high school students having to run across that seems she was unfairly treated. A policeman has to take all things into account before issueing the ticket as this is not clean cut like a speeding fine. Even the councilwoman has asked the transportation officials to make it easier on the elderly, what more does the policeman need to see that it is probably impossible for Mrs Coyle and Mrs Krause who is in an electric chair aswell to cross the 5 lane boulevard in the allocated time. The ticket should be nulled under the circumstances with such a large amount to pay aswell for someone not even having a working income.

Seriously, if highschool students are having trouble crossing the road on time then it's the light system that needs changing not the speed at which pedestrian's are crossing. They should extend the light time because there are a lot of people who can't run across a cross walk. But this sure is funny.

I lament the loss of days past when a policeman would help an elderly lady cross the street rather than ticketing her. Unfortunately, what we have here is just another case of the government and people in authority being more concerned about the sticks up their asses than about people. Instead of morals, they have a bottom line, and instead of a heart, they have a cash register. Their brains, too, seems to have been replaced with a rulebook. Since when has the letter of the law been more important than the spirit of the law?

 

Damn, but the human race seems to be heading to hell in a handbasket. >_<

Man... I know in my city there are a handful of crosswalks that I have trouble getting accross in time unless I run a few steps... but its a smaller city so even at busy times it's never a big deal if someone is a few steps from the sidewalk when they are supposed to be off the roadway. I mean yea, if someone gets there RIGHT at the end and tries to sneak accross and holds up traffic, thats more understandable but if they simply CAN'T do it, ticketing someone is pathetic.

This crosswalk thing is crazy where I live. Most places around here don't have a signal to stop traffic, so you have to rely on the driver to see you and to stop. Most don't, even though it is the law. But in spots where there is a pedestrian crossing signal, sometimes I can't even make it across a regular two-lane street before traffic is allowed to come again unless I jog it a little. I can't count how many times I've seen people with young children running across the street just to make sure they were out of the way in time. All the crosswalks with signals I've come across have never been long enough for just me, so why do they think it would be long enough for the elderly or disabled. Something needs to be done about it.

That's so mean! How can that officer ticket the woman for crossing the road too slowly? Like the first post said, Speeding, I know... but slowly?! That's really... outrageous.

Getting fined for walking too slow, ridiculous!

Source: Yahoo! Canada News

 

This is the most stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Speeding, I can say, but walking too slowly??

xboxrulz

 

Well I have heard of someone who got a ticket for driving too slow on a highway (obstucting traffic), but this poor old lady?

in Quebec, Canada, you can't drive slower than 50km/h on the highway.xboxrulz

They could just put a pedestrian bridge that goes over the roadway maybe even one of those moving walkway like they use at air ports and that would stop that problem, just put them in certain location so as not to have them all over the place.Here where I live in Nashville we have problems with jaywalkers, people cross the road anytime any where they feel like it. The police do not issue a citation unless the pedestrian actually gets hit, and usually they issue it only if the pedestrian requires hospitilization and is in fact in the hospital.

Ticketing a elderly women for crossing the street too slowly??? If anything, I believe that the officer that ticketed the woman should be helping her cross the street. Boy, I believe police these days have nothing else to do but try to cause drama for civilians. From one stand point, yes she is the problem in the situation, but this problem isnt all her fault. She cant help it if she cant cross the street faster than the other people, shes old for god sakes. You would think people these days have more respect for people older than them.

They could just put a pedestrian bridge that goes over the roadway maybe even one of those moving walkway like they use at air ports and that would stop that problem, just put them in certain location so as not to have them all over the place.
Here where I live in Nashville we have problems with jaywalkers, people cross the road anytime any where they feel like it. The police do not issue a citation unless the pedestrian actually gets hit, and usually they issue it only if the pedestrian requires hospitilization and is in fact in the hospital.

That would be a little problem for the elderly. I mean who would want to cross the street by climbing stairs and walking them down again to the other side when you could just walk to the other side? In Singapore, the major jaywalkers are the elderly. For one thing, its because they are eager to get across the street and don't want to wait for the light. I think its also because they're so used to it already.

I feel really sorry for the 80+ year old woman though. I mean..getting "fined" for crossing the road to slowly is one thing. But if we look at it in a different angle - Why isn't anyone from her family or nursing home assisting her? Canada has welfare for the elderly does it not? It just goes to wonder what the Canadian government are really doing huh?

That news report originated in Los Angeles. And reported on Yahoo Canada. Don't blame us... I am Canadian, too.

Edited April 13, 2006 by jlhaslip (see edit history)

Regardless of where it occurred... what would the governments part be in it? I think I'm missing what you meant by welfare being helpful in this situation...