The case against the term jaywalk shorts

The term “jaywalking” was developed by the auto interests in the early 1900s as a derogatory term to shame people who crossed the street in the middle of the block, which had been socially acceptable prior to the 1920s and 1930s. The purpose of this term was to encourage people to cross at intersections rather than the middle of the block so that automobiles could move more efficiently through cities. In the profession, we tend to try to emphasize the importance of crossing at a location with no signal.