Part 2/7:
To ensure the safe passage of automobiles, industry leaders and city planners devised clever strategies to redirect pedestrian behavior. Central to this effort was the creation and dissemination of a new social stigma around walking—particularly, the act of crossing streets outside designated areas. They introduced the term "jaywalker", derived from the derogatory term jay, which traditionally labeled someone as unsophisticated or naive, often from rural areas.
The clever nuance lay in repurposing this existing insult into a badge of foolishness related to street-crossing behavior. By branding pedestrians who crossed outside crosswalks as jays—or jaywalkers—authorities aimed to stigmatize and discourage such actions, framing them as not only improper but downright stupid.