Gridlock News

New York recently became famous for banning transfats.  But now the entire state is considering banning iPods, Cell phones, black berry typing and Portable Game Playing while people cross streets.

"Hey let me let you go, I'm crossing the street, I'll call you back in 45 seconds."

Can you imagine having that conversation sometime soon when visiting New York City?

For that matter can you picture a traffic cop stopping people as they step on and off of curbs to cite them with a ticket for listening to their iPod or talking on their cell phones.  Not to mention there is a big grey area.

What about people that receive an emergency call half way across the street?

What if someone is wearing an ear bud for their phone but its not turned on?  Same thing for an iPod, what if the earbuds are in but the device is off?

The problem is real.  People go into electronic dazes as they talk, listen, type or play and they forget what they are doing.  Walking along with the hurd and then step off a curb and get run down by a car.

All those colorful Apple iPod ads of people dancing oblivious to their surroundings can get people killed near busy streets if they get sucked into the sound and don't hear a traffic signal, a siren, a horn or don't see the cross walk sign or interpret it fast enough.

I suspect that this law is not enforceabe.  This would not be the first piece of legislation thrown up by a legislator to get some attention, but it does raise some real issues.  People just can't pay attention to their surroundings when their brain is on electronics.