Seventh & Washington

Stopped. Watched. icon

Made a couple of passes by this corner in the afternoon. Both times people with clipboards watching, writing, and crossing. Someone is measuring compliance with the crosswalk ordinance. Everyone was stopping as they should each time I went by.

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10 Comments

  1. By TJ
    May 4, 2012 at 10:03 pm | permalink

    Must be the “watcher” effect (what’s that called again?). Lots of non-compliance when I’ve tried to cross! Maybe we can station some realistic mannequins with clipboards…

  2. By Nick
    May 5, 2012 at 12:20 am | permalink

    Hawthorne?

  3. May 5, 2012 at 3:07 pm | permalink

    Re: Hawthorne

    Reference is to the possibility that motorists modify behavior in response to the fact that they know they’re being studied. More here.

  4. By cosmonıcan
    May 5, 2012 at 3:13 pm | permalink

    I think “Schrödinger’s Cat” is more like it.

  5. By Trevor
    May 5, 2012 at 11:28 pm | permalink

    Over the past couple months I’ve noticed not only people stopping when I cross at a crosswalk, but people not raging at me when I stop for pedestrians. Reminds me of walking/driving in Traverse City.

    What I have noticed though, is that many pedestrians are freaked out when I stop my car so they can cross. They look confused as I wave them across the crosswalk.

  6. May 8, 2012 at 8:40 am | permalink

    The sign at that intersection hasn’t been knocked down for 15 weeks, according to the webcam that watches that corner: [link]

  7. By Alan Goldsmith
    May 8, 2012 at 1:05 pm | permalink

    Webcam, monitors with clipboards, etc. But guessing the Ann Arbor Rapist hasn’t been captured yet. Or the Ann Arbor Arsonist.

  8. By John Floyd
    May 10, 2012 at 4:45 pm | permalink

    Personally, I find the idea that someone is monitoring the intersection via web cam a bit creepy. A bit Orwellian for my tastes.

  9. May 12, 2012 at 11:12 pm | permalink

    John,

    The intersection webcam was prompted by frequent car-sign accidents.

    [link] is a FOIA response (actually, a FOIA denial) with details of 10 car-sign incidents in 4 months.

  10. By Rod Johnson
    May 13, 2012 at 12:59 pm | permalink

    Wow, what a snippy letter. I hope the new administrator can maintain a more civil relationship with the public.