Generally speaking, crosswalks provide safety for pedestrians and drivers, as they slow traffic and give people a place to cross the roads. While it’s legally questionable to install a traffic control measure, Virginia man Kevin Cox from Charlottesville decided to take matters into his own hands to improve the traffic safety of a local street. Using water-soluble spray chalk, he drew a crosswalk to slow down drivers who sped through the road’s intersection without a second thought. Unfortunately, the police didn’t take kindly to this thoughtful act and put a warrant out for his arrest.
“They are trying to use the system to punish someone,” Cox said after turning himself over to the local Virginia police department. The authorities said the reason for his arrest was “property damage” despite the fact he used chalk that could easily be washed off. He believes that he has enough evidence on hand to counter this argument when he goes to court later next week.
That all being said, the hand-drawn crosswalk Cox drew made a noticeable improvement in the way traffic was being controlled on the street. “After I put the first thin line down, I heard people in amazement say, ‘Look at that, the drivers see it and they are slowing down!” Cox said, per CBS19 News. Since the intersection originally didn’t have a crosswalk to stop or slow down traffic, locals believed the road to be rather dangerous.
The city didn’t want to take accountability and create one, even after Cox had put in several requests to have one laid out. “If we can’t get traffic control cameras, and police won’t enforce the law enough to communicate with people, then we have to turn to physical methods to slow drivers down.” While the Virginia police see this man as a risk to society, others see him as a local hero. “[This is] not just any guy, but a local hero type guy that’s been featured in the local papers for being the best crossing guard in town and picking up trash and planting flowers and all that good stuff that society needs more of,” a Redditor commented, posting links about Cox’s past feats for the community.
“Holy hell. A guy used chalk to make a crosswalk AT AN INTERSECTION. The warrant is for property damage. This guy needs to countersue,” remarked another Reddit user, with hundreds upvoting in agreement. However Cox chooses to respond to his arrest, hopefully, the city will take notice of how the intersection is being mismanaged and make an actual crosswalk for driver and pedestrian safety.
