Bob

"Walk, jog or bicycle across a New York street with an iPod plugged in your ears and you could get slapped with a $100 ticket under a new law proposed by a legislator from Brooklyn.

State Sen. Carl Kruger's bill would also outlaw the use of cell phones, Blackberries, video games or other electronic devices when crossing the street.

He cited the death of a 21-year-old man who was listening to music when he stepped off a curb and was hit by a bus in Brooklyn in September, and the death of a 23-year-old iPod listener last month...."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

Anyone else think that's a bit ridiculous? Can't hear much over there anyway, and shouldn't these muppets have been looking left and right before crossing anyway?

BigDavyG

Its all part of the continuing process of idiot-proofing the planet.

The State Senator should be shot in the face.

TouristTrap

The 21 y old's parents should be sued for not teaching him that....

mdyoung

Exactly. I think I heard that 107 people were hit crossing the street last year, so probably billion street crossings were made and the ones that got hit were probably due to people talking on cell phones while driving, not people walking while listening to an MP3 player.

Just place everyone in a plastic bubble at birth and no one will ever be harmed. LOL

AdobePinon

Right bunch of toss.

Bob

hehe...aye..and the 23 year olds...

USBound

I think their hearts are in the right place... sadly their brains fell short.

in times like this I think the sig I use on programming forums has merit...

"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning"

Bob

Aye, bit like that saying - Ellington's 1st law of product design - "You can make it idiot proof, but you can't make it ****** proof."

neil

The main thing I don't understand about this is why aren't jaywalking laws sufficient? Surely if you're in a crosswalk with the right of way it shouldn't make any difference what you're doing, and in theory you shouldn't cross at other times (yes, I know it's not enforced in NY but still, why not enforce that instead?).

Is there a law banning people from playing loud music in their cars? If not, that should be introduced too as they wouldn't be able to hear another car beeping at them.

I just thought of a better way to stop pedestrians getting run over - ban cars in areas where there are sidewalks, and ban pedestrians in areas where there are none. Simple.

Tegwyn

That brings me to my biggest beef in this country. People stepping into the road and walking without as much as bothering to look before they even begin. Some still see you and keep walking regardless of how close you are assuming that vehicle will magically miss them. Same thing with reversing. You are in the process and they still keep walking behind the car. I think it would make more sense in teaching these idiots how to cross a road in the first place. Legislate that if they will, and they may just find they end up with better pedestrians/cyclists and drivers. Most of these people would end up flattened by the traffic overseas.

USBound

ahh... but there is the opposite argument.

teach drivers not to be idiots and peds might not assume they are idiots.

britvic

Didn't most of us learn how to cross the road in Infant school not forgetting all the adverts on TV telling us kids. Last year my Daughter got knocked down, she was really lucky just a few bruises well shaken up though, all because the silly bugger answered her mobile while crossing the road She did narf get an ear bashing from the rest of the family, lets hope she's learnt her lesson, she was one of the lucky one's.

Warrington Wolf

Ban them anyway. We recently went to Arizona by US Scare and sat next to a f***in' ejit who insisted on listening to some repetitive music (tss tss tss) on his iPod at FULL VOLUME whilst he fell asleep. No joke, you could hear it 10 rows back. My wife getting close to air-rage (and to stabbing him with a plastic knife) after 3 hours of this. To attempt to defuse the situation, I gently awoke the guy and asked him to turn it down as it was too loud. "Excuse me!" he replied to which I though it's no wonder you're f***in' deaf. He did turn it down but only slightly. Grr!
After landing, he woke up and switched it off. The flight attendant then remarked to him "My son doesn't listen to his music that loud" - silly mare, why didn't you tell him to turn it down.

If I ever sit next to anybody like that again I'm going to very calmly throw it out of the plane, followed by the owner. Even if it's at 30000 feet.

another bloody yank

Too bad they can't make a law mandating common sense. Then idiots not looking while crossing the street and other idiots making stupid laws would both be illegal.

Tegwyn

[QUOTE=If I ever sit next to anybody like that again I'm going to very calmly throw it out of the plane, followed by the owner. Even if it's at 30000 feet.[/QUOTE]
You may just cause a wee bit of ruckus when you try open that window.