Sheep?

I always wait for the green light even if no traffic if there are parents with young children waiting as well. Sets a good example for them. Backs up what the parents are trying to do.

Yes, I admit I do this if there are any children.
If they are all adults I'm afraid I generally don't

HelterSkelter1

I always wait for the green light even if no traffic if there are parents with young children waiting as well. Sets a good example for them. Backs up what the parents are trying to do.

This.

And if they are teens they will be on their phones and would probably trail across the road after me without looking.
If no teens or children and no traffic then yes I do walk across, but briskly. And looking. I had a friend did this in centeal London and was nearly hit by a bus coming unexpectedly for her round a corner.

Durham has a good proportion of Chinese and Japanese students. Without fail, they wait for the green light to cross. No so many of their classmates, who wander into the narrow roads oblivious to any traffic or ride bikes, with no lights, one handed, whilst scrolling through their phones with the other.
I always wait if I’m with the DGSs - they lecture me about waiting for the green light for us to go.

NotSpaghetti

Yes, I admit I do this if there are any children.
If they are all adults I'm afraid I generally don't

Same here.

I taught my children to never rely on the green man. I've seen children just see the light changing to green and they dash across the road without checking for traffic.

We forget that sometimes a car will go through a red light.

In most countries, it is actually illegal to cross the road, if the pedestrian light is not green.

You do not have to wear a bike helmet as an adult in most countries, but I always wear mine, as no child will go on wearing one if they see grown-ups without theirs on.

And the same applies to crossing the road against the lights and all the other silly things we adults do, at times.

I think people have forgotten how to cross a road. To be honest it infuriates me.

Ambling across without checking and eyes glued to their phones mainly.

AuntieE
It may be illegal but may not be enforced - in strict countries (like the US, Germany, or Singapore it will be enforced-
however it's not even true that it's illegal in more liberal countries.
The UK, ​Netherlands & Scandinavia see it as a suggestion- and although it's technically illegal in France i don't think it's enforced.

Maybe someone living there will know.
This is just my observation.