NY Senator wants to ban phone usage when crossing the street

New York Senator Carl Kruger has made headlines today after introducing another ridiculous bill, one that will ban phone usage when crossing the street.

If passed, the bill would ban talking on the phone, texting, listening to iPods with headphones and playing handheld devices while crossing the street.

The fine? $100 if caught.

Says the Senator:

You can't be fully aware of your surroundings if you're fiddling with a Blackberry, dialing a phone number, playing Super Mario Brothers on a Game Boy or listening to music on an iPod.

Citing some recent examples, Kruger noted the death of a 21-year-old who was hit by truck after he crossed the street listening to loud music via headphones, and a woman who was so "engrossed in conversation on her cell phone" that she walked "straight into a park fountain."

Kruger last made headlines when he posted that the city should balance the budget deficit by trading in the stock market.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Jan 2011 3:34

xboxdvl2

well for 1 the park fountain shouldnt of been in her way,they should remove it and put it somewhere else.

Quote:Citing some recent examples, Kruger noted the death of a 21-year-old who was hit by truck after he crossed the street listening to loud music via headphones lets say he was a small child that wondered onto the road or a cyclist or someone driving a small car.why wasnt the truck drivers watching the road.

married to my car and computer.both of them have problems.

30.1.2011 06:10 #1

themind

Yet more prof that we live in a free country.

30.1.2011 12:49 #2

ROMaster2

If they're J-walking it's open game. If they're going over a crosswalk, it's the driver's responsibility not to hit them, whither their paying attention or not.

30.1.2011 14:19 #3

Jhult

First off, the boy that got run over while listening to music never listened to his parents telling him to look both ways before crossing, which it seems a lot of people seem to think it is acceptable, which it flat out isn't. The woman that walked into the fountain just needs to be slapped, because she doesn't know how to use her own two eyes...

That is just my two bits.

"One cannot govern his fate until one takes his future into his own hands..."

30.1.2011 14:21 #4

blueboy09

Watch where you are going!! What's happening to people these days? Dude, it's not your responsibility to look after these people, it's their damn fault as well as their stupidity for not looking where they are going in the first place. There is a website that has a place reserved for these people, and it called the Darwin Awards. Tell a look at it, and I guarantee you'll laugh from some of the stupid stuff people do. I don't necessary like how they died, but why they did what they did is what is hilarious at times. Comes to show that stupidity doesn't excuse thoughtlessness.

Chance prepares the favored mind. Look up once in a while and you might learn something. - BLUEBOY

30.1.2011 15:19 #5

emugamer

Survival of the fittest. If this bill passes, how will the stupid people kill themselves off?

30.1.2011 17:39 #6

xboxdvl2

Originally posted by blueboy09: Watch where you are going!! What's happening to people these days? Dude, it's not your responsibility to look after these people, it's their damn fault as well as their stupidity for not looking where they are going in the first place. There is a website that has a place reserved for these people, and it called the Darwin Awards. Tell a look at it, and I guarantee you'll laugh from some of the stupid stuff people do. I don't necessary like how they died, but why they did what they did is what is hilarious at times. Comes to show that stupidity doesn't excuse thoughtlessness. i got my brother the darwin awards book last christmas he loved it.

married to my car and computer.both of them have problems.

30.1.2011 22:37 #7

KillerBug

Quote:
You can't be fully aware of your surroundings if you're fiddling with a Blackberry, dialing a phone number, playing Super Mario Brothers on a Game Boy or listening to music on an iPod.
This guy looks like the kind of person who would have trouble crossing the street while listening to an iPod.

30.1.2011 22:53 #8

Jhult

Originally posted by ROMaster2: If they're J-walking it's open game. If they're going over a crosswalk, it's the driver's responsibility not to hit them, whither their paying attention or not. One thing about that though is something that all of us have at least experienced. It is the person that keeps walking on the sidewalk, with no indication that they are going to step out into the crosswalk, because they have not stopped to check to make sure for traffic. Then they suddenly sidestep out into the crosswalk, and BAM!, they are either in extreme pain or dying. Using the saying of "Pedestrians have the right of way" as an excuse makes those people one thing and one thing only... Dead Right.

"One cannot govern his fate until one takes his future into his own hands..."

30.1.2011 23:12 #9

Blessedon

Originally posted by KillerBug: Quote:This guy looks like the kind of person who would have trouble crossing the street while listening to an iPod.
He looks like the kind of guy who got hit by the catering truck...repeatedly!

31.1.2011 15:53 #10

IguanaC64

What an asshat...Do we need so many rules that we fear walking out the door lest we be given a ticket for some infraction?

31.1.2011 18:11 #11

nintenut

It's called "Natural selection". Let nature take it's course, I say.

I bet the lady who fell into the fountain will pay attention in the future.

31.1.2011 22:08 #12

Zoo_Look

Originally posted by nintenut: It's called "Natural selection". Let nature take it's course, I say.
I bet the lady who fell into the fountain will pay attention in the future. I bet she is suing the authorities for malicious damage to her cell-phone!

3.2.2011 13:21 #13

bogwart16

People, or soft-shell motorists, need to realise one thing. Human being versus a ton or so of steel - there's only one winner. Never mind who's fault it was, let the lawyers sort it out. If you're so stupid you can't look where you're going in a dangerous environment then you deserve everything you get.

3.2.2011 13:31 #14

pmshah

It has been determined by a UK survey a while back that almost 60% of car accidents occurred because the driver involved was talking on the mobile phone. How can one be texting while driving without taking his/her eyes off of the road ahead? They also determined that an individual develops tunnel vision when talking on the mobile phone, no wonder there were so many accidents.

Some of the posts above do not make any sense, especially those talking about freedom ! These people need to visit Europe and see for themselves what kind of road signals are used there. Only place the pedestrians have right of way are at the Zebra crossings which are very clearly indicated to the motorists by a flashing amber beacon like light. There are no others signals at such locations. In spite of this the pedestrians do take precautions to prevent accidents due to mechanical failure of an on coming vehicle.

When a motorist has a clear green signal to proceed they do with some caution and do allow pedestrians to cross out of courtesy but it is still their right of way. If a loud music listener or a mobile phone texting/talking individual is stupid and oblivious to the danger and steps in front of one of these vehicles which has a clear right of way I say "Tough s...t".

3.2.2011 21:39 #15

bogwart16

It's difficult to discern what your point is. It's already illegal for a driver to use a mobile in those circumstances anyway and this article is about pedestrians, not motorists.

Your information on crossings is wrong too. A pedestrian has right of way once he's on a crossing, not before. The zebra crossings you mention do not have a flashing light; those are called pelican crossings and place the same obligations on motorists as they do on pedestrians. Where a car is approaching a crossing at which he must give way then a pedestrian has right of way, but it would be reckless to depend on that.

As for "pedestrians taking precautions" and motorists "proceeding with some caution" and allowing crossing "out of courtesy" you're living in cloud cuckoo-land. This sounds like some 1950s "after you, Albert" kind of scenario and it's been a long while sice this kind of mutual respect has been on display.

We are better than many other European countries though, where the fact that a pedestrian is moving simply gives you a better score when you hit one.

3.2.2011 22:07 #16

themind

"Tough s..t" is the freedom I was talking about. If you get hurt by any means and it was because YOU were being careless then that is "Tough s..t". There should be no law that would make someone think twice, not through fear of harm, but from getting caught and having to pay a fine.
Its just another money making law that only effects those who live there lives with money on their minds.

4.2.2011 02:22 #17

themind

4.2.2011 02:22 #18

KillerBug

Originally posted by Zoo_Look: Originally posted by nintenut: It's called "Natural selection". Let nature take it's course, I say.
I bet the lady who fell into the fountain will pay attention in the future. I bet she is suing the authorities for malicious damage to her cell-phone!
Natural selection...it applies to the idiot who steps into the middle of the street...but what about the person who was doing everything right, just driving to work obeying all the laws and paying attention? Now that person has to spend all morning dealing with the police, they miss work, their car may be totaled, and their insurance premium goes up even if they didn't get a ticket or even a warning.

There should be a rider to this bill that if you cause such an incident, you (or your survivors) should have to pay restitution to the driver...and it should apply to any idiot that steps into traffic; not just those who happen to be texting at the time.

5.2.2011 06:50 #19

xboxdvl2

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Zoo_Look: Originally posted by nintenut: It's called "Natural selection". Let nature take it's course, I say.
I bet the lady who fell into the fountain will pay attention in the future. I bet she is suing the authorities for malicious damage to her cell-phone!
Natural selection...it applies to the idiot who steps into the middle of the street...but what about the person who was doing everything right, just driving to work obeying all the laws and paying attention? Now that person has to spend all morning dealing with the police, they miss work, their car may be totaled, and their insurance premium goes up even if they didn't get a ticket or even a warning.

There should be a rider to this bill that if you cause such an incident, you (or your survivors) should have to pay restitution to the driver...and it should apply to any idiot that steps into traffic; not just those who happen to be texting at the time. people are stupid in general cant go running them all over.I agree that people shouldnt run into the road and cause an accident but i think if theres a chance to swerve around them or slam on the brakes you should.your controlling a vehicle that moves faster than a pedestrian and is heavier.cars are material objects that can be replaced,humans are living creatures with lives that can't be replaced.

married to my car and computer.both of them have problems.

5.2.2011 09:04 #20

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