New York may ban iPods for pedestrians

 

Last updated at 14:13pm on 8th February 2007 Comments (8)

Pedestrians in New York could be banned from wearing iPods while crossing the road

 

New Yorkers who blithely cross the street while listening to an iPod or talking on a mobile phone could soon face a $100 fine.

New York State Senator Carl Kruger says three pedestrians in his Brooklyn district have been killed since September after stepping into traffic while distracted by an electronic device.

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In one case horrified bystanders screamed "watch out" to no avail.

Senator Kruger says he will introduce legislation on Wednesday 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," he said.

"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."

Tech-consuming New Yorkers trudge to work on sidewalks and subways like an army of drones, appearing to talk to themselves on wireless devices or swaying to seemingly silent tunes.

"I'm not trying to intrude on that," Senator Kruger said. "But what's happening is when they're tuning into their iPod or Blackberry or cell phone or video game, they're walking into speeding buses and moving automobiles. It's becoming a nationwide problem."

Yes, start learning to be mute slaves walking in single file !

 

HEY...NO TALKING EITHER !

what the crap? :laugh3:

thats the first I hear of this!!! I think its insane!!!!!! :lol: if people don't have the fuckin common sense to look both ways before crossing the street whilst chewing gum or walking with iPods or phones.. then they deserve to get struck by a car... I'm SORRY!!!!

 

 

that legislation won't pass........... I hope!!

ahaha, i saw this in the paper today :laugh4:

Here's a pretty grim picture.

 

You notice that you are told that you can't eat certain foods (trans fat etc..) that you can't smoke in public and many other things that most people will go along with because all those have obvious health benefits that have been widely discussed in the media - I actually hate smoking therefore it's great for me to be able to go out to public places and not breathe in all that junk, plus it might help some people cut down on their smoking too.

 

See, now I've rationalised that, smoking bans,....sounds fair doesn't it. BUT the point is -it's all part of the nanny state, the big brother society that is incrementally raising and taking away freedom after freedom, after freedom.

Sure, all the things deemed BAD about society, like trans fats and smoking, are logical BUT where then?

 

Well, we know where - banning use of your iPod on the street, talking while driving, random on the street drugs tests, no protests with permit (?!?!) and CCTV wherever possible to make sure you aren't doing any of these things!

 

It's getting into the "really fucked" stage now. Just wait until after the next big "terror" attack, then all the drones will shout "save me government! save me!" and a whole load of new bills will pass that will make the disgusting patriot act in the US actually seem fair.

Then our children will grow up in a world which they consider to be 'normal' while all the us old folk will be complaining about how it used to be - but nobody wants to listen to some silly old fool do they? sound familiar?

 

Then it'll go on and on like that until........well, you work it out.

 

:dead:

:uhoh: I am so fuckin scared right now!! YO!! that was deep, Gareth..... seriously, you've got my attention....

If someone walks into a street while listening to an iPod and gets hit by a car...then I figure it's just natural selection at work.

how about they ban dumb 17 year old girls from talking on the phone with 4 other people in the car, while driving?? lol that would be a good thing

:uhoh: I am so fuckin scared right now!! YO!! that was deep, Gareth..... seriously, you've got my attention....

 

I know, you can see where I'm coming from? - it's serious and people need to pay attention. :)

 

and......well, I'm not into scaring people but I just see these things for what they are and this stuff is real and is happening.....and, well I guess fear...or probably more anger, is a perfectly normal reaction.

George Orwell had it completely right........................

23 years too late!

I'm going to keep an eye on this story.... its completely ridiculous....

23 years too late!

 

He was close enough................................... by 2084 we'll all be drones.:rolleyes:

It's a good idea in theory, as I have lost count the number of times when I have been driving though town and idiots talking on their phones/ears full of earphones step out right into the road without looking first.

See, my earlier point proved. You can always justify this type freedom snatching but it's part of something very, very bad and that's what needs to be realised.

I agree with Gareth.... isn't just plain ol' common sense to look before you cross the street????