Why do so many people in Detroit walk in the street?

[jaytheory]

I have lots of thoughts and have hear lots of theories but I cant figure it out, why do people walk in the street in Detroit. I mean grand river, Woodward in some cases. all over the corridor, seems very prevalent in many places, residential streets too.

I remember I used to do it as a kid, but that was because playing in the street was against the rules, but then I grew up and stopped walking in the street, thats what sidewalks are for.


Can someone give me an honest answer to this question?

[iheartthed]

Why shouldn't they walk in the streets?

[Wheels]

Why shouldn't they walk in the streets?

Now that is a DETROIT answer!

[Shollin]

Why shouldn't they walk in the streets?

Because it's illegal and dangerous.

[iheartthed]

Because it's illegal and dangerous.

Is it illegal?

[dookie joe]

Is it illegal?

Yes, it is.

[iheartthed]

Yes, it is.

Can't find it online. Mind providing a link?

[jerrytimes]

Yes, it is.

In Eastpointe is started to happen more and more and the police started ticketing people.

[Shollin]

I have wondered this myself. I have never seen more jaywalking than when I was in the city of Detroit. Sometimes it's dangerous. There were teenagers just loitering in the middle of 8 Mile by Livernois. They were just laughing like they were daring someone to hit them.

[ismoakrack]

People walk in the streets in plenty of cities, particularly places where traffic isn't prohibitive of doing such. My sister lives in Dallas, and a young pregnant girl she was 'mentoring' got hit by a car while walking in the street, and her baby didn't survive.

[Detroitnerd]

I don't think there's any ONE reason.

Reasons I've heard include:

Lots of people in Detroit are from the South, where it's more common to walk in the road.

The sidewalks are often so poorly kept you might as well walk in the street.

You're less likely to get jumped in the street.

The streets are better plowed than the sidewalks.

ALL THAT SAID: I lived on the Detroit-Hamtramck border for a long time, and noticed that people would sometimes use the sidewalk in Hamtramck and the street on the Detroit side. It was really interesting the way it almost corresponded with the actual physical border so frequently.

[dookie joe]

It's their way of being defiant: "I'm gonna walk in the middle of the street and make people drive around me."

I have an easy fix for that: When I see people doing that, I lean down and fumble in my glove box, acting as if I don't see them. Works every time; they jump the hell out of the way right quick!!!

[Hamtragedy]

Dogs, hoods, predators lurk between the houses and in the tall grass.

[Bham1982]

Dogs, hoods, predators lurk between the houses and in the tall grass.

Actually, I could see this. I have walked in the street during explorations of Detroit, and it's because I was scared of big leashed dogs that would jump out from the property line to the sidewalk. It gave me a jump more than once.

The street does feel safer and more removed from threats, especially if there are cars parked on the street. Also, the sidewalks are often in horrible condition.

[Jaybiz]

Really u think that's why? Haha. I don't have the answer and I'm far from a racist but a lot of the time it's young black youth and believe me it's not just in Detroit, I know kids who grew up their whole lives in burbs like EastPoint & Mt Clemens where those dangers don't exist yet walking in the street is the norm. I'm not a kid but I know these guys and get along with them well, I'll tease them about using the sidewalk when I'm driving down a street they are walking in the middle of and they'll just laugh. I've even asked and have never been given me any reason why they don't use sidewalks. My aunt lives way up in Macomb twp, there is actually many african americans moving there, she is stuck in her ways to put it politely and she was complaining about "the black kids blocking the whole street" while she is trying to drive into her subdivision. It doesn't bother me though, I think it's kinda funny, it's been going on forever, I grew up on the east side and I was heavily involved in the local hip-hop secne when I was young and I think it's really just about swag & attitude nothing more, which is fine becuase you rarely find a 40 year old who has his shit together walking in the middle of the street. I hope I'm not misunderstood as bigoted because I'm not.

[marshamusic]

I hope I'm not misunderstood as bigoted because I'm not.

I don't take it that way, at all. I hear you.

[jaytheory]

Really u think that's why? Haha. I don't have the answer and I'm far from a racist but a lot of the time it's young black youth and believe me it's not just in Detroit, I know kids who grew up their whole lives in burbs like EastPoint & Mt Clemens where those dangers don't exist yet walking in the street is the norm. I'm not a kid but I know these guys and get along with them well, I'll tease them about using the sidewalk when I'm driving down a street they are walking in the middle of and they'll just laugh. I've even asked and have never been given me any reason why they don't use sidewalks. My aunt lives way up in Macomb twp, there is actually many african americans moving there, she is stuck in her ways to put it politely and she was complaining about "the black kids blocking the whole street" while she is trying to drive into her subdivision. It doesn't bother me though, I think it's kinda funny, it's been going on forever, I grew up on the east side and I was heavily involved in the local hip-hop scene when I was young and I think it's really just about swag & attitude nothing more, which is fine because you rarely find a 40 year old who has his shit together walking in the middle of the street. I hope I'm not misunderstood as bigoted because I'm not.

I grew up Fenkell/Shaefer area, we did it as kids to look tough and be defiant. Now that I live near downtown, I find the folks doing this are older middle aged, and dont look as if they are trying t be tough..

For instance while driving east on MLK crossing the lodge there was a woman walking against traffic near the the curb in the street, no one was on the side walk. I live in woodbridge, and many people who walk down my street are indeed in the street, mostly kids but adults too.

My Favorite is the rascal in the street as if its traffic.

[Django]

Ive been jumped a couple of times, usually by kids lookin to have some fun with the white dude. Id rather be jumped in the middle of the street than on a sidewalk. I was jumped at Forest X Chene by about seven kids, the thing that stopped them was a dude driving by in his truck and saw what was happening, he slammed on his brakes making a huge noise and the kids ran off. If I were gettin my ass kicked on the sidewalk Im not sure if anyone would have noticed.
Good thing they all had tennis shoes on while they were kickin me in the head, the worst I lost was my unopened 40 ozer. I rode on to the Miami and they bought me a beer.

[poobert]

I remember I used to do it as a kid, but that was because playing in the street was against the rules, but then I grew up and stopped walking in the street, thats what sidewalks are for.

1) You had rules as a child.
2) You "grew up" to be a [[presumably) functioning member of society.

Frankly a lot of people in Detroit didn't have those life experiences.

I was just talking to my neighbor yesterday. Her relatives live in Harper Woods and are moving. Seems people will walk in the streets in crowds and not move for traffic. Doesn't make for very good quality of life.

We have the occasional dickwad walking in the street here. It's funny, because the sidewalks are all in good shape, no open or dangerous buildings, the worst thing that could happen is getting hit with a sprinkler. But hey, if you want to look like a retard, by all means. Maybe they saw the recent Carl Collins III billboard, "Call 1-800-CAR-HIT-U." I wish I were making that up.

[Hamtragedy]

I remember as a child seeing people walk in the street. I guess those kids/people thought they were cool.

In Rosedale on Lyndon, there is still no sidewalk on the south side btw Ashton and Faust, and when we walked to Vetal Middle School, we would walk in the street, "cuz we thought we wuz cool" [[this also might explain me using a pick and wearing a do-rag, even though I was white).

In Grandmont, we also had our sidewalks cleared of snow. In the winter time, if we were going to school or catchin' the freight, we might be ahead of the sidewalk-" tractor" so I would walk in the street in the tire tracks.

[Shollin]

You really haven't heard of jaywalking?

[iheartthed]

You really haven't heard of jaywalking?

I've heard of jaywalking. Walking in the street is not the same thing as jaywalking.

[bailey]

Can't find it online. Mind providing a link?

Detroit has restated and incorporated, MCL 257.655.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/[[S[[up1...me=mcl-257-655

Sec. 55-12-4. - Pedestrians to use sidewalks where provided; walk facing traffic where no sidewalks provided.


Where sidewalks are provided, it shall be unlawful for pedestrians to walk upon the main traveled portion of the highway. Where sidewalks are not provided, pedestrians shall, when practicable, walk on the left side of the highway facing traffic which passes nearest.


[[Code 1964, § 38-12-4)

http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=10649

I take back the caveat... it would appear this is the current code.

[iheartthed]

Detroit has restated and incorporated, MCL 257.655.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/[[S[[up1...me=mcl-257-655
http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=10649

I take back the caveat... it would appear this is the current code.

That's for state highways.

[artds]

That's for state highways.

No it isn't. The statute refers to "highways", and if you look in the definitions section of the statute, highway and street are synonymous, and are defined as follows:


257.20 “Highway or street” defined.


Sec. 20. “Highway or street” means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.