Q: A TV station had a story about the Los Angeles Police Department’s traffic-enforcement division having undercover officers or other decoys walk across the street with a gaggle of motorcycle officers hiding nearby. The motorists who did not stop for the jaywalkers were descended upon by the motorcycle cops, like a nest of hornets. Since when did jaywalkers have the right of way? Or is this another “only-in-L.A.” story?
– Kioren Moss, Ventura
A: In 2023, a new state law watered down what is illegal for pedestrians.
Now, officers can cite pedestrians walking across a street mid-block only if unsafe; they shouldn’t cross if a vehicle must slow down. Before, walkers could, in some cases, get a ticket for crossing a road between intersections if merely outside a crosswalk or ignoring signs.
Drivers, of course, must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, even if unmarked — such as at intersections, even T-intersections. In crosswalks with no signals, pedestrians can cross so long as any driver has ample time to safely stop.
The LAPD says it did that enforcement, with people in street clothes crossing Ventura Boulevard on Dec. 9, as an effort to reduce pedestrians getting struck. These types of enforcement in the state, by the way, are not rare.
If some folks believe that type of enforcement is too aggressive, Honk understands that. But something needs to change.
This year, through Dec. 11, in the San Fernando Valley alone, police say 39 people have been hit and killed, and 150 others seriously hurt.
Q: Dear Honk: You recently said that someone with 1984 Olympics license plates can keep renewing them. Well, I bought a set of those plates in 1984 and used them on my car. Several years ago, after not using them for a few years, I contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles about putting them on my car again. I was told by the DMV that I couldn’t. Has that changed?
– George O’Nan, Costa Mesa
A: Honk is curious why you were told that.
Back in January, Katarina Snow, a DMV spokesperson, provided Honk with info on those plates after a San Clemente resident wanted to know if she could buy them now. She can’t — there was a small time frame back in the day when motorists could get them — but Snow did say at the time that those who have them can keep renewing the registration with them. A few weeks ago, George saw a reference to that Q&A in a Honk column highlighting great reader questions from the past year, prompting him to ask about his plates.
(Some years, like this one, readers ask so many great questions that Honk runs two columns spotlighting the answers. Look for 2025’s Round Two next week.)
Honk told Snow about George’s Olympic plates, and she asked for his license plate numbers so the DMV could take a close look. With his permission, Honk passed that info along, so hopefully she can help George, although there are instances when they couldn’t be used, such as if they were too banged up.
“Our team is working to reach out to the customer to provide assistance,” Snow told Honk.
By the way, Honk has asked around, but so far hasn’t heard about any effort to make plates to honor the upcoming 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk