There is an iPod killer, it’s the iPod!
Posted by signup
Don’t you just love it when some member of some government somewhere says or does something really, really stupid. Well, not to be out done by the bureaucracy of his piers, New York State Senator Carl Kruger has decided to table some legislation to save people from their iPods, cell phones, Blackberries, and other portable electronic devices.
Apparently, people have been killed due the distraction caused by their mobile electronics when crossing New York City streets. I can just imagine; some nameless individual is crossing a busy New York City intersection (Having the right of way none the less) when a Britney (I’m still not a fan) Spears song starts playing on their iPod. In musical frustration, said individual says to themselves “I hate this song! Where’s my Kevin (Will never be a fan) Feterline tunes on my nano.”. As they are distracted by the cute little clicks of the jog wheel . . . WHAM! . . . a New York City taxi cab blasts through the intersection and kills that pedestrian. Tragic.
I’m certain it’s happened elsewhere in the world where distracted pedestrians have been injured or killed while crossing the street at a marked intersection while they have the right of way. Personally, I can barely count the number of times when my dog and I have nearly been mowed down by some careless driver whilst walking the local corner store to grab a drink and requisite pepperoni stick (For my dog). I’ve had the right of way, the little white walking guy is clearly seen, beckoning me to cross, and my dog has been trained as a helper dog (She knows when it’s safe to cross). And since I still don’t own an iPod, I haven’t had those digital distractions. But those motorists seem not to care.
Senator Kruger has said that a government does have an obligation to protect its citizens. I can agree with that whole heartedly of course, but I would ask Kruger to define when that protection shifts from the seemingly obvious (protection) to the blatantly absurd (protection). The government should protect our food and water and air so we don’t suffer from needless harms that could have been prevented. But Kruger’s suggestion that pedestrians should be fined up to $100 if caught talking on a cell phone while crossing the street, well, that’s just plain stupid. And the police or bylaw officers who would issue those fines probably have better things to do. Certainly, the courts would prefer not to have parades of citizens marching through their doors to appeal those fines. Maybe the motorists should be a bit more careful, somewhat more observant of pedestrians. And maybe pedestrians should take some better care when crossing a busy street.
What’s next? Does some some elected official try to pass a law that will have pedestrians wearing bicycle helmets when they walk down the street? I can see it now, “When people are struck by a car, it’s not the car that kills them, but but the impact of their head hitting the pavement when they land. If everyone wore a crash helmet all of the time, we could save countless lives.”
Maybe Senator Kruger should try recall (personally and publicly) all those times he has been walking or driving down the street and chatting away on his cell phone. Everyone’s guilty of chatting on their cell while driving, doing that at least once in their digital lives. Except for me, since I don’t drive.
