When a red light is not a red light, the Hypocrissy of pedestrians?

Didn't take the bike to work this morning (big ride at weekend, no honestly it really was...). While standing at a pedestrian crossing two of three bikes took a head start on the green. To be clear, this appeared to be experienced commuters who knew the phases of the lights getting a lead on the busses behind them. As they set of the lady beside me commented, not quite under her breath "the light is red" just as the lights actually turned green. You could almost see the thought bubble {bloody cyclists} pop up above her head. Then just a few seconds later with the road clear, she and all the pedestrians at the crossing, crossed the road. What colour was the little man in the lights......? Quite.

On the one hand, when I am on my bike I get infuriated by fellow cyclists jumping lights or weaving between pedestrians on zebra crossings. But as a pedestrian feel utterly empowered to cross the road wherever I feel it is safe to do so, and use the lights at crossings as informatives rather than instructions.

I think the point I am trying to make is, shouldn't j-walking (as our colonial cousins refer to it) be just as lambasted as cyclists or any other road user ignoring red lights?