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  • iPods and accidents

    NYC is contemplating banning pedestrian use of iPods and other electronic devices while crossing city streets due to the alarming number of car-pedestrian accidents. A fine of $100 would be assessed.

    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 says he will introduce legislation on Wednesday to ban the use of gadgets such as Blackberry devices and video games while crossing the street.
    I agree that this type of action is necessary because I know personally of one young person who got mowed down in the middle of a street because she was too busy listening to music on her iPod as she jaywalked. She ended up in the hospital with multiple fractures and a punctured spleen and was immobilized for months. Guess what her family bought her after her brush with death? ANOTHER iPod to replace the one that got smashed.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

  • #2
    Re: iPods and accidents

    You can't legislate common sense. Just wait until the first lawsuit when a cop tries to give someone with a hearing aid a ticket.
    I am Jack's absent signature.

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    • #3
      Re: iPods and accidents

      Originally posted by kamapuaa View Post
      You can't legislate common sense. Just wait until the first lawsuit when a cop tries to give someone with a hearing aid a ticket.
      You're right. Maybe we should just let Darwinism take over.

      Miulang
      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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      • #4
        Re: iPods and accidents

        Originally posted by kamapuaa View Post
        Just wait until the first lawsuit when a cop tries to give someone with a hearing aid a ticket.
        No doubt there's language in the bill the exempts hearing aids. I'm curious if that will include cell phone users.

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        • #5
          Re: iPods and accidents

          Sure... Let's find more ways to waste money because people are stupid. I mean c'mon. Cops should be out catching bad guys and not worrying about ticketing someone who walks across the street with their headsets on. Fines aren't the solution. Education is the solution. Whatever happened to "Look both ways before crossing the street" It it really that difficult of a concept?

          [rant] Sorry... I've got a bit of a pet peve of cops doing mundane ticketing things rather than protecting me.

          Part 1:
          I had a case of my wife's car got broken into and although the local PD was down the block from where I lived, they didn't bother to send an officer. To add insult to injury, when my wife walked over to the PD to file a report, she was told "It happens around here alot" in a nonschalont manner.
          Part 2:
          2 weeks later, a local cop drove into the apartment parking lot where i live and noticed that my (other) car which I wasn't driving had an expired inspection on it. He proceded to write me a ticket for it. So let me get this straight...rather than catching thieves, he'd rather drive around private property and ticket a harmless offense.[/rant]


          ::edit:: sorry Miulang, I'm not picking on you or your friend. Honest I'm not.
          -kp!

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          • #6
            Re: iPods and accidents

            Once, many years ago, I was in London on a weekend business trip. Mind you, the British drive on the opposite side of the road from us. So I'm standing on a street corner, waiting for the light to change to green before crossing the street and I happened to look down at the pavement. On the pavement at that corner (and almost every other street corner in London) was plainly written "LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING." I had to chuckle because I thought the Brits put that there more for the benefit of the stupid American tourists than for the locals, who would know to look in the other direction before crossing the street!

            Maybe instead of ticketing people, we should do what the Brits do: at every street corner, put up signs (LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING).

            Miulang

            P.S. So Kungpao, do you think my friend's niece should have been ticketed for jaywalking (because that's what she was doing)? She DID get mowed down and spent a month or so in the hospital for her idiocy. I don't think the driver of the car was charged with anything.
            Last edited by Miulang; February 8, 2007, 07:37 AM.
            "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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            • #7
              Re: iPods and accidents

              no... I think jaywalking tickets are a waste too. I feel bad for your friend's niece. It's an unfortunate circumstance that could have been avoided possibly by your suggestion of marking the road! Simple yet possibly effective?
              -kp!

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              • #8
                Re: iPods and accidents

                Where was this when the walkman came out? the boombox?
                How'd I get so white and nerdy?

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                • #9
                  Re: iPods and accidents

                  I think legislating the devices is a bad idea and I hope bigger brains prevail before that becomes law. I am driving in SF this week and have encountered lots of bad peds--both ipodded and not. Almost all of them younger people. I am sure they were told at least once in their lives how to cross a street. They walk across the street quite slowly. They seem to know cars are there--and know that I see them. They expect that I will stop for them, regardless that there is no cross walk. They believe they own the road. Someday, it won't be me.. maybe it will be a distracted cell phone user who doesn't see them. The thing is--I don't think they will learn.

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                  • #10
                    Re: iPods and accidents

                    iPod: the new walkman.
                    http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
                    Need a place to stay in Hilo ?
                    Cue Factory - Music for your Vision

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                    • #11
                      Re: iPods and accidents

                      oh! I didn't realize there was another current thread on bad peds in Route 808!

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                      • #12
                        Re: iPods and accidents

                        Originally posted by alohatim View Post
                        I think legislating the devices is a bad idea and I hope bigger brains prevail before that becomes law. I am driving in SF this week and have encountered lots of bad peds--both ipodded and not. Almost all of them younger people. I am sure they were told at least once in their lives how to cross a street. They walk across the street quite slowly. They seem to know cars are there--and know that I see them. They expect that I will stop for them, regardless that there is no cross walk. They believe they own the road. Someday, it won't be me.. maybe it will be a distracted cell phone user who doesn't see them. The thing is--I don't think they will learn.

                        You've got a good point there... People really are rather arrogant when they cross the road nowadays. I suppose it's the whole "Peds always have the right of way" attitude.
                        -kp!

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