TIL that the term "Jaywalking" was invented in the 1920s by the auto industry to shift the blame for accidents from drivers to pedestrians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1vjbvsn/til_that_the_term_jaywalking_was_invented_in_the/
The car-dominated cityscape did not happen by accident. It was engineered like the automobile, with great energy and determination.
In addition to orchestrating the new crime of jaywalking, Detroit automakers engineered the demise of city trolleys and bus lines, to remove competition for their automobiles.
They knew that tetraethyl lead, the anti-knock compound that made their engines run smoother, was toxic from the get-go.