New York Lawmaker Moves to Ban Use of Distracting Gadgets While Walking

FOX News/Associated Press ^ | January 25, 2011 | staff

[Baladas]

New York state Sen. Carl Kruger wants to make his state’s streets safer.

To do that, he's not proposing a tough new gun law or advocating for broader police search powers.

No, Sen. Kruger sees a greater danger out there.

Distracting gadgets.

He hopes to ban the use of mobile phones, iPods and other gadgets by pedestrians in major cities while crossing the street.

[Baladas]

Nanny state, nanny state.

[cranked]

So much for walking and chewing gum at the same time, huh? /s =.=

[donna]

May I still look in my purse?

[Blood of Tyrants]

There ought to be a law so that the first citizen who finds out some lawmaker wants to pass some idiot law like this can legally tar and feather them publicly.

[JennysCool]

Dude's a real ball o' fire.

[plaidness]

What an arse! Can I call him mommy? Pathetic. If NY’ers had some nuts they would toss him out - baby with the bath water.

[dynachrome]

Looks like Sen. Kruger is stealing yer satire ideas!

[socal_parrot]

I guess it’s back to hoisting a ghetto blaster on my shoulder as I amble down the street.

[ETL]

There certainly are a large number of mindless people here in NYC crossing the street while texting or dialing on a cell. I must have saved a dozen or so, mostly women, from being hit by cars over the past several years.

[GeronL]

wow. beyond the pale of satire.

[hinckley buzzard]

As I suspected: The average NYawker can't walk and talk at the same time. Whadduhsupprise.

[Jack Hydrazine]

What happens to idiots who text while walking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXYY_ep5Nh0

She’s also up on felony charges for theft.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/fountain-falling-texter-cathy-cruz-marrero-dont-text/story?id=12685189

[ETL]

I’m not agreeing there should be a law against it. They may just have to learn the hard way I guess.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Lemme Guess...this jacka$$ is Dim...

[Berlin_Freeper]

My next door neighbor died when he was run over and pulled up into one of those large street sweepers. But that was fifteen years ago.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

AIRBAGS AND HELMETS FOR EVERYONE!

Stupid damned city people, what would they do if they had gators and snakes to contend with?

"The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws". Ayn Rand

[Tzimisce]

...New York is going to collapse in its own budget hole.

Good to know they’re working on stuff that matters. :)

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Too bad you couldn’t save New York from stupidity in the polling booth.

[Bean Counter]

“Stupidity cannot be cured with money money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.”

— Robert Heinlein, “Time Enough For Love”, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

[Chode]

[Dr. Sivana]

Okay, so I am crossing the street, and a policeman or meter maid or whatever stops me on the other side, because I have lightweight earphones on, with an iPod Touch in my pocket.

They cite me. My defense? It wasn’t on. How do they know it was?

[ViLaLuz]

The masses become too stupid, they need to be micromanaged.

[Vendome]

Can’t we just ban him?

[Vendome]

[Riley]

Stupid damned city people, what would they do if they had gators and snakes to contend with?

---

I view great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health and the liberties of man. True, they nourish some of the elegant arts, but the useful ones can thrive elsewhere, and less perfection in the others, with more health, virtue and freedom, would be my choice.

- THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, Sep. 23, 1800

Credit to Freeper Cripplecreek for bringing it to my attention.

[circlecity]

"— Robert Heinlein, “Time Enough For Love”, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long"

One of my top ten books of all time. Heinlein was in his prime on that one. Excellent taste my friend.

[mewykwistmas]

Hey Senator Cruger Loser, how about you put a hat on while the street, you can blind a pilot miles up, let alone a pedestrian.

[Wurlitzer]

What can you expect from a politician elected by mental midgets who actually believe what they read in the NY Times?

It is only a matter of time before they will ban speaking to the person walking next to you.

The spineless commie wieners in NYC deserve this but unfortunately it would be a statewide law so once again the rest of us have to give up more because of the moronic losers in life..

[Dr. Sivana]

Pedestrian injuries and deaths have been trending down, and are 20% less (1,000 fewer deaths) than in 1998.

Most deaths occur at night, not during rush hour.

Interesting data:
http://www.walkinginfo.org/facts/facts.cfm

[Sacajaweau]

I think the ultimate lesson would be....pass the law...

do one of those things where a whole bunch of people show up...say it's a blue tooth party....assuming that hundreds show up....start crossing streets...and mumble out loud...

[HKMk23]

What IS it with these IDIOTS who, on the one hand, INSIST with froth and flying spittle that every school kid be bludgeoned into mind-numbed submission to Natural Selection, then turn RIGHT around and insist that there simply MUST be legislation to save people from Natural Selection??

What next: no rappelling? No climbing? No skydiving, water skiing, scuba diving, boating, driving, walking, or breathing?

Can we agree that this trend will have no end until we are forced to live our lives encased in flame-retardant foam rubber, space suits, barred from contact with the Earth, limited to drinking only ultra-purified water, and breathing purified air?

Can we accept the truth of that assessment and just hang every last one of these bastards NOW, and get it OVER with??

[EGPWS]

He hopes to ban the use of mobile phones, iPods and other gadgets by pedestrians in major cities while crossing the street.

Leave that distracting stick at home buddy!

[ETL]

Pedestrian injuries and deaths have been trending down, and are 20% less (1,000 fewer deaths) than in 1998.

That might be because the stupidest have already been run over and so longer figure in the stats.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Somehow these will be exempted, I'm sure...

[truthkeeper]

Ministry of Silly Walks, anyone?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Baladas.

[Menehune56]

Democrat of course. Funny that the article doesn't specify that. Sounds like a big nanny-stater.

[ETL]

Was he or she using a cell phone or other such device at the time?

[3niner]

Yep, everything I don’t like should be illegal. Way too many people seem to believe this.

[EGPWS]

[GotMojo]

the end of chewing gum for many......

[GotMojo]

explains a lot. a difficult childhood...a face only a mother could love.....

[EGPWS]

Hey Senator Cruger Loser, how about you put a hat on while the street, you can blind a pilot miles up, let alone a pedestrian.

His first name isn't Freddie by any chance is it?

[3niner]

...But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.

This happened at my university at about the same time that Heinlein wrote this. A girl stepped out from behind a shrub, directly in front of a moving car. She knew that the car had to stop (even though there was no crosswalk there), and was too stupid to figure out that it would not do so if it was impossible.

There was a fuss about whether the car might have violated the 20 MPH campus speed limit, and have been going as fast as 25 MPH. However, a car going 15 MPH would have still hit her.

[stockpirate]

Yeah, like beautiful women in tight tops and mini’s.

[Hardastarboard]

I had a guy save my @$$ from walking right out in front of a car while I was just talking on a cell phone - not texting or anything. He reached out and put a gentle hand on my shoulder to stop me from stepping into the street.

[Clock King]

Soon to be required for walking in public.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Who is he to argue with Darwin?

[SandRat]

Bet this is next

[webstersII]

The last generation has seen the rise of the total nanny-state.

I hope at some point people begin to think that there are SOME things gov’t shouldn’t be involved in.