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Last Updated: Oct 20, 2009 - 7:25:21 AM




Jaywalking in Montreal - A Special Feature
By Hervé St-Louis
Jul 3, 2009 - 23:05:54 PM

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Montreal has a greater density than most North American cities. Maybe that's why jaywalking is so widespread. It's only when leaving Montreal that you notice how much jaywalking goes on all the time.

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Notice the guy and the woman standing in the middle of the street like live bait. They are expert Montreal Jaywalkers!

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This is Sainte-Catherine Street near Peel in downtown Montreal. One of the busiest street corners in Canada.

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People are always walking on Sainte-Catherine Street for no apparent reason than to be seen, much like 17th Avenue in Calgary, or Yonge Street in Toronto.

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Except in Montreal, people take much greater care of their appearances.

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You'll noticed no one was paying attention to me because I was dressed as a Calgarian and therefore was beneath contempt.

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Ok, back to jaywalking. People in Calgary always ask me why I'm standing in the middle of the street. As you can all see, in Montreal, waiting for the light to change while waiting in the street is normal. It gives you a head start when jaywalking.

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But pay close attention. You have to be no more than one quarter with both feet in the street. Standing on the sidewalk is for tourists.

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When jaywalking you must be carefree. Notice that all these fine citizens are jaywalking on an obvious red light in the middle of McGill College and Sainte-Catherine, one of the most crowded street corner in the city normally full of traffic. While the light is obviously red the people to the foreground are still about to go on and cross the street - casually.

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Look at this man. He understands the jaywalking etiquette although a big red truck is about to road kill him, he is in no hurry to get off the road. When jaywalking you do not rush or run. You must be carefree. Also, notice the guy in the back with the white shirt gently jaywalking as if the light was green.

And that my friends is how you jaywalk in Montreal and fit in. Now imagine doing all of that during the Winter!



Related Articles:
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Montreal Comic-Con
Jaywalking in Montreal - A Special Feature
Superman Sightings In Montreal’s Skyline
First BD Montreal Concludes



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Keep Steppin' at your own pace (and other song lyrics)
Captures the essense of jaywalking perfectly. The whole act of sauntering across a street without a care in the world when a ton of metal is bearing down on you? That's an aquired skill. :-)

It's funny to see it from the drivers' perspective. I was once in a taxi going through the centre of London, when a young couple drifted across the street a small distance ahead of us. The taxi driver immediately said, his blood pressure rising dangerously; ''Look at that, they think they are to pretty to die!''. Such was the casual nature of their stroll across a busy street. Hahaha.

Your last description turned what had been a broad smile into a laugh!

Thank you for this Herve, I'll remember it should I visit Montreal. :-)

(We have a different term for jaywalking in the U.K, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is!)
#1 - Pat - 07/04/2009 - 15:26
Well, even though you're now a Calgarian, I don't think your Montreal tenacity has come out of your writing.
#2 - Eli Green - 07/04/2009 - 22:46
This is terrific. I am itching to visit Montreal to try a few casual moves, especially in front of big red trucks. And experiment with the rudimentary French I've learned!
#3 - Beth - 07/05/2009 - 10:53
I jaywalked at Sainte-Catherine and McGill today! I visited the Redpath Museum at McGill - and it was fantastic!
#4 - Avi - 07/06/2009 - 02:05
Kids don't try this at home
Must add this - The Comic Book Bin and the author of this article do not condone nor want to promote jaywalking. This article is a piece of humour based on human observation. It is not meant to be taken seriously.
#5 - Herve St-Louis - 07/07/2009 - 01:20

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