The law of the jungle often rules the laws of the streets in China. As people outnumber policing officials many times over, it is easy to believe that one will not be caught for breaking small rules such as jaywalking. Indeed, in the first half of the year alone 127000 people were caught jaywalking in the city of Shenzhen (population: 10 million) alone. However, the police have come up with a quirky plan to stop the offenders.
Those caught are asked to pay a fee between US$3 and $16 or face a brief stint as a traffic cop assistant. In addition to being an assistant, the person involved has to wear a green hat and vest as part of a ‘name and shame’ policy. In China, a man wearing a green hat is synonymous with an ancient Chinese tale and implies the man is being cheated on by his wife or girlfriend. The police went one step further and posted up photos on social media stating that people should not read too much into the hats. The education policy seems to be working with 60% of respondents to a local newspaper poll stating they will pay more attention to the traffic lights in the future.