NEW YORK (Reuters) – New Yorkers who blithely cross the street listening to an iPod or talking on a cell phone could soon face a $100 fine. New York State Sen. Carl Kruger says three pedestrians in his Brooklyn district have been killed since September upon stepping into traffic while distracted by an electronic device. In one case bystanders screamed “watch out” to no avail. Kruger is introducing legislation to ban the use of gadgets such as Blackberry devices and video games while crossing the street. “Government has an obligation to protect its citizenry,” Kruger said in a telephone interview from Albany, the state capital. “This electronic gadgetry is reaching the point where it’s becoming not only endemic but it’s creating an atmosphere where we have a major public safety crisis at hand.”
Article here. Um, aren’t lawmakers cracking down on the so-called obesity epidemic? Might yanking iPods make people less inclined to walk and jog? My hunch is that more New Yorkers die from obesity-related illness than from iPod mishaps. Come to think of it, the Senator could probably drop some lbs. Related: Distracted driving crackdown here and here Related: The Singaporization of NYC Related: My outdated Ban Wagon
