What was That Sign?

I once went on a strange and fun trip to Paris where my two travel companions (who both had lived in Paris) decided randomly that the walk signs (which looked like this, so did not seem that strange to me) meant that they should cross the street with one leg kicked out and front and held stiff.  (Yes, this meant they hopped across the street. This was actually not the most attention drawing thing they did on this trip.) 
So, I can only imagine what would happen had we been in Amarillo, TX while this was going on.  (Video is SFW, assuming your work doesn't mind you playing newscasts at work.  The hand gesture has been blurred out so you will have to imagine it.)

h/t to TBD for the link.