RSC actually got a ticket for jaywalking! I understand the public safety concern, but cracking down on this common practice is just silly - and has repeatedly been proven silly - in major cities. To review:

• NYC tried this with $5 tix. People literally laughed at the cops. Then they got angry. The tix stopped.
• No other major city in America gives out these tix to my knowledge. There are different cultures regarding jaywalking -- for example, it is rampant in DC, Boston, NYC, and other such old world crowded cities. On the other hand, LA, Portland, ATL, and other, newer magalopolises have a more docile populace. Of course, the roads there are wider and permit higher speeds.

I will not rant; I will ask for responsibility first and action second: DC assumes you will jaywalk. The lights are not timed for pedestrians at rush hour, but for cars. Many lights are too short, others too long. Others should simply include an "x cross" feature (I am looking at you, Farragut Square) during periods of very high congestion. Thus, to walk this city is to jaywalk this city. If MPD wants to hand out tickets, lets see a little civic planning first to fix these problems and improve pedestrian flow. Do that, and I think people will be less resentful of the ticketing. Don't, and you can expect an angry backlash.

(Brace yourselves, it's coming)