“Adam Ruins Everything” Explains the Origins of “Jaywalking”
Think the origins of "jaywalking" in 1920s car industry propaganda are too esoteric for a mainstream audience? Watch this clip from truTV's "Adam Ruins Everything" that adapts research from Peter Norton's Fighting Traffic, a history of how motordom conquered American streets in the early 20th century. It's a good sign when productions backed by the entertainment industry start devoting attention to topics like this.
2:46 PM EDT on October 14, 2015
Think the origins of “jaywalking” in 1920s car industry propaganda are too esoteric for a mainstream audience? Watch this clip from truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything” that adapts research from Peter Norton’s Fighting Traffic, a history of how motordom conquered American streets in the early 20th century. It’s a good sign when productions backed by the entertainment industry start devoting attention to topics like this.
Hat tip Michael Briggs.
Angie is a Cleveland-based writer with a background in planning and newspaper reporting. She has been writing about cities for Streetsblog for six years.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Breaking: Hit-And-Run Driver Kills Woman on Deadly Ocean Avenue
A hit-and-run driver struck and killed a woman at a dangerous Brooklyn intersection early on Thursday
April 2, 2026
‘Highway Therapy’: Lawsuit Reveals Alarming Details Of NYPD’s Rampant Car Culture
An NYPD officer is suing the city and three current and former members of the police department, alleging unlawful retaliation for failing to recognize a superior and writing parking tickets to teachers.
April 2, 2026
Trash Containerization Program Remains Unfunded in Mamdani’s City Budget
Whither the "Trash Revolution?"
April 2, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines: Joking Around Edition
Find out who fell for our April Fools' Day stories. Plus other news.
April 2, 2026
DOT’s Greenpoint Greenway Project Doesn’t Dream Big Enough
Greenpoint residents don't want the bike lanes from 2010.
April 1, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.