Do you ever wonder what some pedestrians are thinking when they cross the street?

It seems that people are greater risk-takers than myself. These risk-taking folk cross the street without recognizing the two crosswalks equidistant from their intended path. In other words, they'll cross wherever they want whenever they want, nevermind the fact that drivers, though observant every second behind the wheel, may not be looking for pedestrians crossing outside of the crosswalk. It's called a crosswalk for a reason.

Is it that hard to walk between the lines?

I wish drivers could get little tags to pin on obtrusively jaywalking folks. Sort of like farmers sorting out cows, the pins would mark the person as a dangerous object that could very easily get stuck in your car's grill so be careful of them. Of course I'm not saying everyone must always use the crosswalk everytime because all streets eventually have low periods of car activity. When that happens, cross wherever your little heart desires. But please, if it's, oh I don't know, rush hour on a Friday and everyone is racing to get home, maybe it's in a pedestrian's best interest (to stay uninjured/alive) to use the crosswalk.

"Oncoming traffic does not yield" in any metropolitan city.

If a street looks quiet, here's a tip to make it to the other side without using a crosswalk...keep looking both ways (that's left and right people, not up and down) over and over and over again until you make it to the other curb. If you have to sprint to make it across and the oncoming car would pass a second after you step on the opposite side...then it's not worth the risk. Suppose you fall? Then you just become a speed bump on Glebe Road or Georgia Avenue. (Was that too graphic?) If you sprint and won't cut it that close, then take your chances, but watch your step. It's certainly better if you can make it across without having to run. If you safely crossed 30 seconds later when traffic was quieter, I'm sure you'd have been just fine.

Playing Grand Theft Auto makes it seem so easy.

One other thing, if you do cross a busy street outside of the crosswalk and you see a car approaching, please don't stop in the middle of my lane to stare at me. I'm not the one who doesn't want to live to see what the opposite sidewalk feels like. Just remember, a moving car almost always beats (both competatively and physically) a live target.