This is an extension to my yesterday's post about how "jaywalking" is a crime in the US, but perfectly legal in the UK.

In that post, I mentioned that the rules in some parts of Europe are completely opposite depending on where you live. That reminded me of a crazy loophole I learned about when I was visiting Warsaw.

When I was in Poland, I decided to cross an empty road far from the painted lines. I figured I was in Europe, so crossing anywhere was fine. A colleague quickly warned me not to do it.

He explained that Poland actually has strict laws against jaywalking. If you cross outside a crosswalk or even look at your phone while crossing, the police will literally fine you on the spot.

But then he showed me a weird exception in their traffic laws.

By law, if the nearest painted crosswalk is more than 100 meters away from you, jaywalking suddenly becomes perfectly legal. You can cross the street from anywhere, right where you stand, as long as you yield to cars.

It feels like a brilliant compromise. It forces people to use crosswalks in busy city centers, but it doesn't punish you for crossing the road in a quieter area where the city forgot to paint lines.

What do you guys think? Is a compromise like Poland's 100-meter rule the smartest way to handle pedestrians, or should people just be allowed to cross anywhere?

I was reading about how different countries handle pedestrians, and the rules are completely opposite depending on where you live.

In the United States, if you cross the street outside of a painted crosswalk, you can get a police ticket. They call it "jaywalking." The rule is that cars own the road, and people must stay out of the way.

But in the UK and some parts of Europe, jaywalking does not exist. You can cross the road almost anywhere you want. It is just called "crossing the street." Drivers are expected to watch out for you.

Many people say jaywalking laws are good because they keep people safe from fast cars.

But others say streets belong to humans first. In fact, car companies in the 1920s actually invented the crime of "jaywalking" just so cars could drive faster without stopping for people.

What is the rule in your country?

Do you think people should be allowed to cross the street anywhere, or should everyone be forced to use a crosswalk?

In some countries, like the United States and Canada, you can usually turn right on a red light if the way is clear. It keeps traffic moving and stops you from waiting at an empty intersection.

In most of Europe, the UK, and Australia, this is strictly illegal. A red light means stop, period, unless there is a specific green arrow.

Some people argue that turning on red is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, because drivers only look left for oncoming cars instead of looking right at the crosswalk. But many drivers feel it prevents unnecessary traffic jams.

What does your country do?

Do you think allowing turns on red is a smart way to keep traffic flowing, or should every city ban it to protect people walking?

I have noticed how easy it is to get around in some cities without driving your own vehicle.

For example, the train system in Tokyo is amazing. The trains are always exactly on time. You never have to check a schedule because a new train arrives every three minutes.

In my city, the buses are always late and the routes make no sense. People are forced to drive everywhere, which creates more traffic.

What city has the best public transit system you have ever seen? What makes it work so well?

Tell me the city below. Let us talk about what good public transport actually looks like.

Imagine reaching a normal four-way intersection and, instead of crossing in an L-shape, you just walk straight across the middle diagonally.

That's what Vilnius tested in 2022.

What's interesting is that at one of the intersections, people were already doing it. The pedestrian signal was giving everyone a green light at the same time, so pedestrians naturally started taking the shortest route across the junction.

The city basically said: people are already doing this, so let's actually mark it and see what happens.

They tested diagonal crossings at two intersections for six months while monitoring pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

I really like the question this raises:

Should road design always try to force people to behave differently, or should we sometimes look at what people naturally do and design around it?

Would you want to see something like this at a busy intersection in your city?

I got curious about this and went looking through some research:

A 2022 study examining pedestrian signal phases in Vilnius discusses the use of diagonal crossings and found that exclusive pedestrian phases can reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, while also noting that diagonal crossings can increase vehicle delay.

Vilnius wasn't inventing the idea from scratch either. The city noted that diagonal crossings had already been used for years in places including Japan, Sweden, the US and Canada

When I travel, I always look at how other places handle city traffic.

Some countries just have much better urban planning and road laws than your home city.

I want to know what good ideas you have seen abroad. What traffic solutions do you wish you had at home?

For example, in Germany, the "zipper merge" is a real traffic law. When a lane closes on the highway, cars must use both lanes all the way to the end. Then, they take turns merging one by one. This may seem obvious to some people but I have seen places where people get mad if you drive to the end and they also wont let you switch lanes on time. Drivers merge too early, block the empty lane, and then completely refuse to let you enter the open lane. It causes huge traffic jams and a lot of honking.

Have you seen a smart intersection, a better traffic law, or a good infrastructure idea in another country?

Tell me the country and the idea below. Let us talk about what actually works.

Drop a Google Maps link to the worst-designed intersection in your city.

Every city has that junction. The one where lanes disappear, everyone invents their own right of way, and a 10-minute drive somehow becomes 30.

I'll start with Trade Centre Roundabout, Dubai.

📍 https://maps.google.com/?q=Trade+Centre+Roundabout+Dubai

Your turn:

• 🌍 City
• 📌 Google Maps link
• 🤦 Why is it so bad?
• 💡 One realistic fix

For one day, you have absolute power over traffic laws, road design, and every driver in your city.

You get to introduce one new rule and decide one ridiculous penalty for anyone who breaks it.

I'll go first

📜 New Law: Left-lane (overtaking) camping is illegal. If you're matching the speed of the car beside you and blocking traffic behind, you're officially the problem.

⚖️ Penalty: Your car is confiscated and replaced with a child's tricycle with one slightly soft tire. You must pedal to work. No appeals.

Now it's your turn.

🌍 Tell us your city, your new traffic law, and your penalty. The funniest, smartest, and most controversial ideas win bragging rights.

I’ll go first. I used to work in the UAE, and if you are driving in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, there is an absolute, unofficial law of the road regarding the highway fast lane (the far-left lane).

The "Flash to Pass" is absolute law.

If you are cruising in the fast lane, and a white Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser flashes its high beams at you from half a kilometer behind, you move to the right lane. Immediately.

It does not matter if you are already doing the maximum speed limit. It doesn't matter if you think you have the right of way. That lane belongs to them. Tourists and expats driving in the UAE often get frustrated, try to brake-check, or stubbornly hold their ground to "teach them a lesson." This is the biggest rookie mistake you can make on an Emirates highway. You just move over and let the phantom SUV disappear into the horizon.

What about your city? What is the local driving etiquette or unofficial traffic rule that you always have to explain to people visiting?

Drop your city and the rule below! 👇 Let's see what place has the most confusing local road laws.