A social media prankster has divided Aussies over his reaction to a cop after learning he would be fined for jaywalking.
Luke Erwin was crossing College Street in Sydney’s CBD on Anzac Day on April 25 when he was pulled over by a highway patrol officer.
Mr Erwin shared a video to TikTok showing an officer tell him to ‘get off the road’.
‘I’m just trying to get some lunch money from you,’ Mr Erwin joked.
After demanding he move off the road for a second time, Mr Erwin said: ‘Settle down mate, don’t start going off.’
The interaction then moved to the footpath where the officer introduced himself and told Mr Erwin their conversation was being recorded.
‘What’s going on? How’s your Anzac Day?’ Mr Erwin asked.
The officer asked him to produce his ID but the prankster said he didn’t have any on him.
‘You must produce some ID,’ he said. ‘You have committed an offence.’
‘Walking across the road?’ Mr Erwin asked in disbelief, to which the officer replied: ‘Yes, that is an offence. You’re within 20 metres.’
The officer explained at least one infringement notice would be sent out to Mr Erwin ‘in relation to remaining on the road for longer than necessary, not crossing at the marked pedestrian foot crossing and disobeying my police direction’.
Mr Erwin asked if the infringement involved demerit points, but he was told that only applied to drivers.
When the content creator attempted to question the offence, the officer reminded him there ‘were cars coming while you’re standing on the roadway’.
As the officer drove off on his bike, he quipped: ‘Have fun with your TikTok.’
Social media users were divided over Mr Erwin’s interaction with the officer with some suggesting he wouldn’t have been fined if he hadn’t have been ‘rude’.
‘He’s doing his job. You are the one who jaywalked. You don’t need to be rude to the cop he’s being nice,’ one commented.
‘It’s your fault, you committed illegal offences it’s your fault no need to be rude.’
‘That officer would have left him alone if he had just moved the first time he asked him too, this was avoidable but someone wanted content,’ another said.
‘Fella stands in the middle of the road and proceeds to try rage bait a cop… you were begging for him to enforce the law,’ a third wrote.
Another praised the officer over the TikTok comment, branding him a ‘legend’.
However, other viewers defended the content creator and said he ‘wasn’t rude’ and was ‘simply asking’ the officer to explain the offence.
‘Jaywalking fines will never make sense to me (being from WA where police are chill with it),’ another added.
Jaywalking is an offence in NSW and pedestrians can be fined up to $220, which increases to a maximum penalty of $2,200 if the issue goes to court.