What do you think about the idea of banning iPod and cell phone use on crosswalks?

Question

i'm sure some of u heard about the NY senator that is introducing legislation to ban the use of iPods and other electronics on crosswalks. if it does become a law, violators would be hit w/ a $100 fine.

what do you think of it? i understand where he's coming from because people are distracted while crossing the streets in a busy city and could cause accidents. on the other hand, i think the idea to make it a law to ban the use of devices is a complete waste of time. people can be distracted by anything. will they ban the use of reading something while crossing too? it's ridiculous to mandate such a thing.

how would the office even know if they're listening to anything? maybe they just have their earphones on but nothing is on. and a place like NYC, people are busy and do business while walking and talking. so are they going to have to stop at the crosswalk, finish their conversation, hang up, then cross? it's silly. also, where will the line be drawn? what ban is next?

Answer 1

I don't like it. NY banned all cellphone in car use too and that might be a decent idea, but preventing cell phones and ipods from walking people is stupid.

First of all, the pedestrian in the crosswalk has the right of way. When you cross the road at a crosswalk, cars must stop for you.

Second, I suppose the idea for the ban is that ipods and cell phones take away your hearing... but how many of us depend solely on our ears when crossing the street? I personally stop and look both ways first... and I cross the street (in a major city) to get to my car from my apartment every morning.
Perhaps the cell phone gives a slight distraction because you are physically holding something to your head as you walk, so it takes away some of your vision... regardless, I think responsible adults can cross streets on their cellphones and not be injured.
The thing about banning cell phone use in cars is that the car is a dangerous thing that can harm other people. but the person walking the street is only likely to harm themselves... if they get hit by a car it's their fault, but don't punish the rest of us for some moron who doesn't know how to look both ways before crossing because they're so absorbed in conversation.
As for ipods, that's even stupider. I listen to my ipod while doing just about everything. To suggest that people can't listen to something and walk across the road at the same time is completely retarded, and takes the whole multi-tasking prevention to an excessive level. If you can't listen to music and cross the street, you'll be prohibited from doing 2 things at once for the rest of your life. Incidentally, cars should stop coming with radios before we're not allowed to cross streets with ipods.


Third, there is absolutely no way to enforce this. what exactly am I allowed to do? Presumably I wouldn't be allowed to have either item at my ear as I cross the street... I'd have to have to pause the conversation to lower the phone to my side or I'd have to take the ear buds out and hold them as I crossed before I resumed anything. and in NYC, you may as well ban these items all together because there's no way to avoid crossing the street and the short time between streets will not give me enough time to listen to a song or a conversation.
And is it enough that I drop whatever I'm using from my ear to my side, or do I have to physically put it away as I cross. What if I'm carrying only my ipod and don't have pockets or a bag to put it in? I guess that sucks and I should buy a bag or some pockets because I'm going to lose my $100 anyway.

Furthermore, if we want to prevent people from talking to each other as they cross the street, it seems to be dangerous even to talk to someone you are walking with as you cross the street. so we should enforce a mandatory "silence in the crosswalk" rule.

On a special note, the construction of this rule only prevents electronics in crosswalks. Apparently there would be no fine for using them while jaywalking... presumably we would already be deterred from jaywalking because it has it's own fine, but hey, if we're going to get fined, we may as well be doing as many wrong things as possible when we do get fined.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

i really could care less about ipods, ipads, cell phones ect. But computer have been around since the late 30s. They used to take up massive amounts of space, but they still existed. The first microprocessor was built in the early 70s. That also leap frogged computing technology and by 1977 we were learning s o very very much. Computers arent just PCs that people use for work and entertainment. Our understanding of science and our ability to calculate things and build models through computers has been incomprehensibly changed. I agree that because now people have PCs and theyre replacing human interaction more and more, and while i dont agree with the world now running its data on computers (which can be hacked), Computers have been the greatest invention we have ever built. It will eventually calculate things we never knew possible, hold incalculable amounts of data, help build things faster, cheaper, more productively. Nearly every industrial plant or manufacturer is using robotic work assembly lines that are VERY VERY precise and easier to manufacture. This also has led to things we couldnt do before due to lack of precision. We can cut diamonds and make sure that all materials are exact down to even micrometers or nanometers. It has allowed us to more easily design and test building designs and do math we could only dream of doing. Computers has CHANGED us. Without computers it would seem like going back into the dark ages. Ipods, ipads, all those never truly helped anyone achieve something. Celll phones were also a huge leap foward but house phones can easily make up the gap in communication if we got accustomed to it.

Answer 4

Probably the same Senator of NY that banned certain video game. Yet she believes in killing babies. I think it is up to the individual person to have enough sense to watch, look and listen when crossing a street. This is such a stupid idea to ban this, then again, that is what Democrats do.

Answer 5

I believe it is just one more way for the City to make more money.
How does the Senator explain why a woman with a stroller was hit in NY, and children are being hit. There was nothing mentioned about ipods being the cause, a drunken driver caused the accident.
Maybe the Senator needs to watch the local NY news sometimes.

Answer 6

My friend was listening to an ipod and crossed the street and a car hit her causing her to brake a couple of bones, but about the law i still dont think it should be applied because someone can sing to themself and walk across a street. Plus that is going against the new york constitution

Answer 7

Feels like my rights as a human is being taken away and were moving into Drone-hood.... OK a bit far fetched but hey next thing there going to say is there going to count the number of squares we use to wipe.. OK a bit over board I can see that people need to be responsible and act accordingly BUT when were told what we can and can not do I get worried that our rights are being infringed upon and even taken away. what next were all told we have to worship the same GOD???

Answer 8

Darwinism would seem to indicate that those who are too stupid to function in society are going to get killed or maimed. The government needs to stop trying to interfere with mother nature. There is a reason these people get hit by cars and it is for the betterment of all mankind.

Answer 9

I think it's positively asinine. Moreover, I can't even imagine how they'll enforce this proposed ban. If people wish to cross the streets while listening to headphones, then they should be allowed to.

Answer 10

And who will be doing the enforcing at the expense of capturing ream criminals?