Put Your Best Foot Forward

Shanghai’s government has a new class enemy: jaywalkers. As part of a long-term campaign designed to rid the city of shameful behavior before it hosts the 2010 World Expo, as many as 112,000 renegade pedestrians have been fined up to $6 each since May. That’s not all. Offenders have had their salaries cut after pictures of them crossing against traffic were broadcast on the news. One woman spent 10 days in jail for contesting her fine and was eventually pressured to resign from her job. “If someone is caught jaywalking in front of strangers, they don’t feel bad,” says Yang Yulin, media officer for the Shanghai Civilization Committee (SCC), the government organization behind the crusade. “But if everyone at the office finds out, they learn a lesson.”

To stamp out jaywalking, thousands of volunteers have signed up to monitor the city’s crosswalks. SCC officials have visited schools and universities to recruit whistleblowers. Public awareness is improving dramatically. The finer legal points—such as how to handle pedestrians caught midstreet when the light changes—are now debated in Internet chatrooms.

The SCC, which also wants to tackle such social evils as littering and spitting, says jaywalking has dropped by half since the campaign began. But some residents are unimpressed. “It’s an inhumane abuse of government power,” says Shanghai marketing executive Suzzane Zhang. But would she jaywalk herself? “No, never.”