Returning from a late night dental floss run to the supermarket - the streets in my neighborhood were nearly empty of car traffic - that being the case, I was struck by the fact that at both lights that I needed to cross to return home there was a group of rowdy teenagers waiting for the sign to turn for the light to change in order to cross at the corner.
Being a native New Yorker, I did not think twice about crossing the street as soon as I saw no cars coming - but it got me wondering why, in this country where no one (especially drivers) exhibit any sign of patience, it seems that most people wait for the little red guy to go away before they will cross the street.
So a quick google search turned up this blog which then brought me to a fascinating study published in New Science Magazine that made a different point all together: the study found that Haredi Jews (known to most as ultra-Orthodox)were 3 times as likely to Jaywalk then the average Israeli.
The researchers hypothesis to explain the results were:
"Rosenbloom thinks that ultra-Orthodox faith might contribute to this cavalier behavior by making people respect religious law more than state-imposed rules. It is also possible that religious people take more risks because they are more fatalistic and have less fear of death"
I think her first point is on to something, large portions of Haredi society do not seem to actively embrace the halachic concept of Dina D'malchuta Dina (the law of the kingdom is the law)
However, I do think that her second point is way off the mark as one need only look at the time, effort and money that many in Hareidi society are willing to invest in ensuring that they and their loved ones receive the best medical attention possible (while all my evidence is anecdotal, it is clear to me that they account for a disproportionate % of those who elect to use 'sharap' or private medical service (which means a lot $$) rather then settle for the health care provided by Israel's universal health coverage plans.
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