In an attempt to put a halt to wandering pedestrians and cyclists, Shanghai police are going to post photos and videos of offenders all over the media–in newspapers, on TV–just to embarrass them. Some lawyers are protesting the system, saying that public humiliation is exaggerated punishment, and possibly defamatory, for such a minor infraction.
Crossing the street in Shanghai is like crossing the street in Manhattan–people wait for an opportunity and just do it, with little regard for what the traffic light says. Which makes me wonder how effective of a punishment this is. If they did it in NYC, people would probably either not give a crap or start posing for the camera. But being outed as a law-breaker is considered shameful–and maybe even a little scary–in China. I suppose police wouldn't be doing this if they didn't think it would work in the first place. Image by d'n'c' via Flickr
Police to shame jaywalkers on TV
( Lisa Katayama is a guest blogger.)
