Let's talk about jaywalking.

Atlanta, despite its big city pretensions, has a lot of small town habits, and jaywalking is among the most common. Not much has changed since 1915:

2 December 1915, Atlanta (GA) Constitution, pg. 8:

Perhaps one of the worst traffic dangers of today is what it known as “jay walking.” People cross the streets any and everywhere, without regard to traffic, darting in front of fast-moving motor vehicles, doodging horses and street cars, and even braving ambulances and fire apparatus with no satisfaction except the consciousness that “they did it,” and then having plenty of time to turn and contemplate the danger they have escaped.

Let's be clear about something.

The problem goes both ways.

Cars drive right through crosswalks, whether people are in them or not. (This is especially true when they're making rights on red -- many barely slow down.)

People dodge cars in the middle of blocks everywhere -- downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, all around the town.

Other cities these days are a lot more serious about enforcing jaywalking laws, especially against pedestrians:

• In Dallas, a man did 11 days in jail, with his 14-year old left to fend for himself, when he was arrested for jaywalking while getting off a bus.
• In Washington, D.C. Charles Atherton, who once headed the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, was hit by a car, then by a jaywalking ticket. He died from his injuries.
  

Over the last few years the city has been doing a lot of work on major intersections. Crosswalks have been painted, complete with vertical stripes across them. There are new walk lights, and some of them talk.

But I haven't seen any tickets handed out, either to drivers or to walkers. How are you with that?