Wrong place, wrong time

At a time when walking across the street or at an intersection involves making a call to your lawyer first to ensure your estate is in order, the focus should be on educating not only pedestrians about "walking safety", but driver re-education as well.
Toronto police began a blitz targeting pedestrians who break the law countless times daily on our streets by ticketing them for jay walking, or just simply crossing at an intersection after the flashing hand and countdown has begun.
Many don't know that it is illegal to cross the street when the hand is flashing. The equivalent to to the flashing hand is the amber light for motorists. When the light is yellow, and a driver crosses an intersection- they too have broken the law.
In a time of making sure we try to cram as much into our busy day as possible, the simple task of getting home at night, now has some wondering if they will make it home at all. Two days ago a close friend had left my house at dusk. She lives 20 minutes away by bike, and didn't expect to meet the fate that she did. Not even on a major street, two minutes before she recieved a ticket for not stopping at a stop sign (on her bike), a driver in a vehicle on their cell phone (without bluetooth) almost knocked her over. The police officer issued a ticket for $110 dollars and demerit points off her license. This could have been worse for her.. she didn't have a light on her bike, nor did she have a bell of any kind, but the officer was more concerned about the fact she didn't stop.
What happened to nabbing those motorists who continue to talk on their phones? What happened to ensuring that pedestrians cross at designated crossing areas? On a cold January night, this officer decided to issue a ticket to a cyclist who was among maybe 20 other cyclists on the streets at this very moment.
Was he doing his job...? Yes.
Was she breaking the law...? Yes.
Was this really what the officer should be focusing on...? Probably not, but she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the 14 others who have been struck over the past 3 weeks on Toronto streets.
Will enforcing the law when it comes to street safety for pedestrians really work? Only time will tell, but I guarantee that we will continue to see motorists on their cell phones and that will be harder to enforce than cyclists committing petty crimes.