Bill banning iPods and cellphones on New York City streets coming
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Feb 7th 2007 9:01AM
posted Feb 7th 2007 9:01AM
Update: Instead of preaching to the choir on this, why not take Chris' advice from the comments section and send Senator Kruger an email. We're sure he'd love to hear your thoughts on his proposed ban.
[Thanks Chris and Jusin Z]
Welcome to the nanny state.
Oh man. Now all the ads (pictured) will be taunting and jealousy-inducing.
Wow... I got nothing on this.
Maybe they should ban chewing gum and walking at the same time too. I still see people have trouble with that.
I hope this Carl Kruger douchebag doesn't think that he can somehow get this law to cover Toronto as pictured.
Anyone who is dumb enough to not look both ways before crossing the street in the middle of the Big Apple probably had their impending death coming for 'em. I don't think we need laws to protect the lesser gene pool members in New York, that is what the grill of a yellow taxi cab is for.
here here
Hell yeah. Taxi drivers are merciless, they have no regard for human life, just fares.
Yeah! Think of it as evolution in action!
Bahahahahah is it April 1st already?
This is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard. Two people die while wearing an iPod gives them the right to ban it? how can this be? it's just insane. If someone got injured in a car crash and they found in the car a dog, would that give them the right to ban dogs in cars??!?!
This is classic over reaction, trust me I come from England.
"breaking news! Two people were killed in their house while listening to music and eating food! The governement immediately voted a new law forbidding people to eat food and listen to music at home!" This story was sponsored by Crooks Insurance. "Crooks Insurance, you pay, we don't!"
When did it become the first priority of our government to try and secure our safety at the expense of our liberty?
Laws like this are why we dumped all the tea in Boston harbor.
Actually the reason your ancestors dumped tea in the Boston harbor was because a) they didn't like free trade, and b) the fact that someone could grow tea in China, ship it half way around the world and sell it for less than it cost to grow it domestically.
Wow - that does sound similar to the current situation with goods from China. Maybe you should rebel against your current government....
lets dump ipods and Carl Kruger into the harbor, another reason was the tax on tea without getting representation in the British government, its simple 8th grade history.
I'm picture a public service commercial with black sillohuettes.....
It is amazing how politicians work. A tragedy occurs and an over-reation ensues. This is a typical government response. A particular group is a affected in a very minor way and government responds in a manner that affects the other 99.9% of the population. I am very sorry for the families of the people that were killed, but a free society will have traggedies. We could have a government that prevents people from doing all kinds of things. If the speed limit were 25 mph everywhere, for example, we could prevent thousands of deaths each year. We could also ban the consumption of butter, red meat, and candy. Banning these products would surely elimiate thousands of deaths from heart disease. The point that I am trying to make is that none of these things would equate to a free society. I don't want govenment telling me I can't cross the street while listening to music. That is a stupid law. The people of this particular community should send a message to this politian and put him or her back on the street. The passage of laws by our government should be resolved to an attempt to tackle real problems. Drug addiction, murder, rape, child porn, etc... I don't know about you, but I don't want my government worrying about what I listen to, when I listen to it, who I am talking to, or whether I eat french fries.
Maybe I am the minority?
"We could also ban the consumption of butter, red meat, and candy."
You must have missed the discussion in Chicago and NY to ban transfats.
Yes I certainly agree with your comments, its was finely written and summed up very well...., but watch out big brother will be looking for you to cross the street and make a believer out of ya!
oh woe is me! Oh woe is you!
Excellent post bneals!
amen... the only reason they're going after banning ipods and junk is because it is the only thing they can visibly see and change. child porn and rape is something they care about, but cant catch or see all the time. people rocking the bright white headphones are easy to see. just like in school, people will just hide them or, just brush off the rule.
why bother - wouldn't this qualify for a Darwin Award? http://www.darwinawards.com/
I heard going into space makes you want to kill people.....we should disband NASA ASAP!!!!
That's hysterical.
It's not about preventing anything. It's for after the fact, to help insurance companies avoid paying damages if a covered person hits a pedestrian who happened to be using an ipod or cell phone.
Wow, that's a great point.
When I'm riding my bike on bike trails and must drive on the street temporarily, I take my earbuds out. I'm not an idiot!
To whomever said you need to look both ways when crossing, it's even simpler in NYC...there's plenty of one-way streets.
And another thing... BAN stuff that actually kills people, like STUPID drivers, shitty car breaks and cross walks. Yeah, BAN cross walks. Make people float above the street. COOL. Ban walking altogether. WHat song was he/she listening too? BAN the band. Ban iTunes.
Let's be perfectly clear... this doesn't stand a CHANCE. Carl Kruger is a State Senator (representing Brooklyn), and he's probably trying to get his name in the papers. Do you really think that ANYONE in NYC is going to support a ban on cell phones and iPods...
NYC!?
The business capital of the world!?
Really!?
Steve,
Don't be so sure. NYC is also the city with three airports whose lounges do not have plugs to charge your cell phones or laptops. What the hell does anyone want wi-fi when you have no power?
I come from a redneck town called Atlanta, where even our own corruption hasn't reached these preposterous levels.
One more reason to avoid NYC...
Darwin had a name for this “survival of the fittest” nature’s way of weeding out the idiots. Let them cross without looking.
Ban deaf people from crossing streets too. Oh, and ban cars without horns, and definitely ban those quiet hybrid and electric cars.
no, that won't do...
you'd have to ban deaf people with ADHD and gadget fetishes.
;-)
Stupid people will do stupid things and die.... stupidly. Laws should not be created that impinge on the rights of people, of above subhuman intelligence, because of this. Its not just nanny-state, its completely pointless because they will just find some other equally ridiculous way to kill themselves.
Terrific, Mr. Orwell (Kruger) has figured out how to extort money from big businesses.
You think they could come up with better topics for regulation than this. First Trans Fat now Ipod next you can't look at your watch while walking, you must come to a complete stop.
I'm OK with this passing in Albany, the source of all evil in NY.
Ok, I live and work in NYC. This ain't gonna fly here. iPods are how New Yorkers keep from killing each other. The mere fact that I no longer have to pay attention to other people is probably the only reason I've lasted here.
1. How are you going to remove an embedded element of entertainment (iPod) or COMMUNICATION (cell phone) from a person's daily commute? I've got an idea: let's ban people from listening to the radio while they're driving on the highway! Same idea - bad idea.
2. Even if it were "just while crossing streets," as the article seems to suggest, that would mean that, unless you were walking crosstown (longer distance between avenues than streets), you would have to hit the pause button every ten seconds.
I think by the end of the first week of that particular ban, the homicide rate in NYC would increase ten-fold. Let's let this one go, buddy.
Let's break with US political tradition and take a look at the facts:
1. In NYC, almost everyone on the street is using an iPod or similar music player.
2. Only 2 people have been killed crossing the street, wearing said music players.
3. Everyone else wasn't.
4. Wearing an iPod while crossing the street is obviously safer. It's non-iPod users who should be banned.
precicely -- you dont need another law. jaywalking is already the problem. should crossing the street while deaf also be illegal?
"Lemme call you back in a bit, I have to cross the street."
Yeah, that's gonna go over realy well.
This is one of the dumbest proposals I've ever heard of (and that's not including marriage proposals!).
maybe if the people hadn't been crossing during the "not a good time to cross theres other shit going on here" signal was on.. they wouldnt have been hit. And if it happened during the "okay cross" signal then maybe they still woulda been hit. Ive seen people in Chicago almost get hit by a cabby or some Indiana person who doesnt understand traffic lights and not even know what could have happened.
Is NYC really the business capital of the world? JW never heard it refered to that before.
HAHAHA
It figures - these are the same people who gave us Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer. These dumbasses deserve to live in a fascist nanny state.
What about the hundreds of thousands that die EVERY DAY without wearing an ipod? Doesnt that mean you should make a bill REQUIRING ipods?
Carl Kruger is a Democrat. Just thought I would mention that, because all the news story on this (conveniently) neglect to mention it.
ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Wow, this will never happen.
Even if they did pass it, people would never actually listen to something this stupid.
told you so....iPods cause death, avoid them.
Darwin Awards, smarwin awards, who cares. If Darwin were REALLY correct, there is NO WAY we'd have the idiot we call President in office right now.
To bad his grandpappy didn't have an ipod when he crossed in front of a horse n buggy.
Yet another reason to avoid urbania.
Does this mean we can ban the President? After all hasn't HE killed 3,000+ of our military personnel?
Or MAYBE we should stay with this line of thinking and ban condoms! Yeah, cuz after all, if we don't have them, then according to our Prez, people WON'T have sex and AIDS will be cured.
Damn, i think i'm a politico in the making.
Hyay,
lets place 1 MP and 1 cop on each and every corner of NYC street and if anyone walk across the stereet with their hands hold - bam, instant fine for crosing over while holding a hands!
Like it is not bad enough that you can not basically enjoy life while live in NYC. Bravo democrats and republicans and all other jokers who get paid for doing nothing but waste money stolen as a taxes from working people!
Alright folks, here's where you get to be the upright citizen's brigade. This is one of those situations where the big government is going too far to protect us from ourselves. Let Sen Kruger know you think this is a pretty awful idea, legalizing the Darwin Awards. Here's his link:
http://www.nyssenate27.com/send_email.asp
why are they punishiing the pedestrians, instead of the drivers who are too busy cranking their tunes or talking on thier phone to notice "hey im gonna hit that guy". they are the ones who need to be paying more atention.
We should ban deaf people from crossing the street because they can't hear the cars. Or the blind for not seeing the cars. Self-induced impairments, such as wearing a pair of jammin' headphones, aren't all that different just very temporary. Of all the millions of people in the streets of NYC, it really doesn't surprise me that a couple have become roadkill. It's inevitable. I've been there quite a bit, and there are truly people that act like they're invincible be they cabbie or pedestrian. So this is a nice way of fate reminding the stupid to look both ways and then cross the street.
And on that note, one time I saw a blind person pushing the wheelchair of a sighted person who was unable to walk. That was INTERESTING.
I've walked around Manhattan with an iPod on (headphones keep your ears warm from the brutal winter wind), and have talked on a cellphone (it prevents homeless people from asking you for money. Seriously, try it!) and never once was I ever close to being hit by a car BECAUSE I USED MY F****NG EYES to visually check for danger before stepping into the road. :-D
Guess they better ban deaf people from crossing the street next, right? How stupid.
that is just so big-brotherish and intrusive, i'm surprised it's not happening here in california.
It may sound like a wrong decision, but think about this from the drivers' point of view.
I think that the law about not talking would be struck down in the courts. I thought that we have "Freedom of Speech" as guaranteed in the US Constitution which trumps state law.
Oh, didn't you get the memo? Free speech is only available in the designated 'Free speech zones' in new york.
Jesus Christ what next getting a ticket for looking at a hot girl while crossing the street ohh wait how about eating a hotdog is this guy really serious you know for a fact that there 10 million people that live in the city of new york the last thing that a cop wants 2 do is 2 give out a thousands of tickets Carl Kruger should be worrying more important things like crime or city needs
Was looking at his biography, and I guess he thinks listening for traffic might be more important than looking for traffic.
"The Senator is a member of many civic and service groups including the .... Advisory Board of Visions - advocates for the blind and visually impaired"
They got me on the telescreen, the thought police are knocken on my door, so what went wrong in '84?
"And on that note, one time I saw a blind person pushing the wheelchair of a sighted person who was unable to walk. That was INTERESTING."
Hey I saw that movie too, "See No Evil, Here no Evil"! :-)
The banning of trans fats in food, it's bad because it can be use as a precedent to ban other things, but it's good in that there is no good reason to have that in our food, the alternatives are more expensive right now, but if demand rises. What they probably should have done is put out a campaign to make people aware of the dangers of trans fats. Although it could just be the bottom line, with a law they get to collect money from fines, with an awareness campaign they have to spend money.
Dear Senator Kruger,
I just heard about your proposed legislation to ban iPods on the streets of New York. I think that this idea is not only unnecessary, but completely impractical. Are you really prepared to waste government resources handing out tickets to law-abiding citizens who are hoping to enjoy their music while walking to work/school/their home? Do you know just how many people use iPods and other DAPs in New York City? Do you even know what DAP stands for? I apologize if this email sounds angry and patronizing, but based on the recent reaction of politicians in Massachusetts to a marketing campaign, I'm seriously doubting how tech savvy and in touch with reality some politicians are. I hope you ultimately decide not to continue with this ridiculous ban. I didn't put you in office to tell me where I can and cannot listen to my music.
I just send an email senator Kruger asking him to ban billboard ads and Mini skirts too. Those are bigger distraction for me when I cross city streets.
So....will hearing-impaired people still be allow to cross?
Listen... do you think other politicians can survive without crossing the street on their cellphone. NO! they won't make a law that disrupts their own lives.
I wonder if anyone was ever run over while looking at a neon sign. If so, neon signs are distractions and should be outlawed. Were the pedestrians who died also WEARING SHOES??? Perhaps SHOES should be outlawed!
I think the I am getting carpal tunnel syndromfrom using a mouse at work, I guess we need to ban computers now..............
Maybe they should make it illegal to cross the street against the light.
Better yet, how about you make it illegal for people in cars to run over pedestrians.
I would also advocate a campaign about how much it f@cking hurts to get run over by a car.
Seriously though... Look both ways dumbass.
We're baby stepping towards communism and not enough people recognize or care...
Implement madatory smoking/non-smoking sections in restaurant, then ban smoking in all restaurants, then ban smoking everywhere but your house, then ban smoking all together.
Making it a crime if a parent does not meet their child's teacher on parent-teacher conference day.
Making it a crime to cross the street (even at a corner) while using an electronic device: cell phones, mp3 players, etc. Does this include pacemakers?
I predict that if this legislation passes, sales of wireless in-ear headphones will go up.
KRUGER@SENATE.STATE.NY.US
I've heard that people are most vulnerable to grizzly bear attacks while defecating in the woods. There have been many more documented cases of wild bear attacks than ipod related deaths. I think we should save the people in the woods and goverment first. Let's outlaw defecating all together, especially when members of the Senate are spewing it from more than one orifice!
-Jan B.
Hello Senator Kruger,
I don't think it is a good idea to try and ban cell phone or dap usage while crossing streets, because if a person is aware and looking both ways while crossing the street they should be fine. Accidents happen all the time, due to people being irresponsible pedestrians or drivers, or both, you can't make a person responsible by taking away a cell phone or ipod away from them, while at the same time affecting those that are already responsible. This law would be a huge inconvenience to people if it is actually upheld by police officers, and there would be a decrease in safety due to officers taking away time from other duties to write tickets. Any increase in safety would be minimal because anyone irresponsible enough to not look both ways when crossing the street, or not being extra aware when crossing the street on a curved road, would cause an accident with or without listening for a vehicle. I know you are an advocate for the blind, they are proof that even without one of the senses, being very aware with the senses that remain can make a person safe. The only people that have more to gain than lose from this would be insurance companies that will be able to deny money to a person hit by a car because they were breaking the law at the time by talking on their cell phone or listening to music. It would not matter much whether the driver was paying attention or not to the insurance company.
Wow, so many negative comments. I guess people don't really see the purpose of this law: Liability.
Let's say you are driving along and some knucklehead steps out in front of you because they have no clue what they are doing. They are talking on their phone or listening to music, basically tuning out the world. With this law in place you would not be responsible for hitting them, they would be as they are doing something against the law.
This has nothing to do with enforcement, no cop is going to walk up to you and cite you for your iPod. But if you walk out into traffic with them on and get hit, now it will be YOUR FAULT! If this is not typical NY than nothing is.
- Roger
iPod is a rip off, rip off your money, rip off your life, rip off your ear (if audiophile), rip off those labors in China, rip off the music industry. imagine a world without ipod, hmm~ nice.
it seems a lot of people are horridly misinterpreting this.
This isnt as much a law to be enforced, its more aimed at relieving the liability of the driver and what ever company thats responsible for someone that gets smacked by a car in the middle of the street... To think someone is going to be seriously enforcing this is neat impossible. But think of how many court cases for insurance claims and such can be avoided just because of some idiot.
how about making it illegal to talk on your phone while driving. i'm sure the person driving the car was using their phone, and just blamed it on the pedestrian who was using his ipod. don't pedestrians have the right of way anyway?
This is a crazy idea! What's next? New legislation to prevent pedestrians from speaking with each other?
Here's a blog that I came across recently...
http://www.zolved.com/blog/view_entry/21494/Crazy_Like_a_Fox_-_Rants_from_a_tech_madman
"This is classic over reaction, trust me I come from England."
Over reaction from both our political representatives and the commenter's. Look at the statements being made...
"Stupid people will do stupid things and die...."-"Darwin had a name for this “survival of the fittest” nature’s way of weeding out the idiots. Let them cross without looking"...etc.
Do you know this person who was killed? Could this person have looked both ways when he/she crossed the streets before this intersection and just made a mistake? I agree with the over reaction of politicians....and then some commenter's overact too. That is why its becoming harder for people to find the middle ground and solve problems. Hate...is the key to this line of thinking.
What a timely article. I just hit someone on a bike about 2 months ago who was wearing a DAP. I was turning left, the light turned green, we all went and the biker went right through the opposing red and ended up on my hood. Did the DAP contribute to it? Maybe.
Now that he's out of the hospital I'm suing him for the damage to my car plus car rental while it's being painted.
Neutralelflaco @ Feb 7th 2007 11:12AM
"The banning of trans fats in food, it's bad because it can be use as a precedent to ban other things, but it's good in that there is no good reason to have that in our food, the alternatives are more expensive right now, but if demand rises."
More expensive? Oil is oil. Use a cheap one. People managed to prepare fried foods for centuries before crisco came along. I don't see any connection between this legislation and transfats. One is a safe food prep concern, the other is a safety concern that is quite simply in the hands of the citizen.
If those people simply looked both ways - taking a whole second, they would be alive today.
I say, ban cars in all of NYC. Problem solved!
"I say, ban cars in all of NYC. Problem solved!"
Don't worry, the Democrats are hard at work on that one....
Well I sent him an email! Now I am on his list too. :)
This really isn't that bad of a law. For one, it only applies to people crossing the street while listening, I'm sure just taking your damn headphones out of your ear would suffice to protect you. Secondly, these kinds of laws aren't meant to be rigidly enforced, they're meant to help protect the drivers who might hit you if you step out in traffic unexpectedly. They'll have a less chance of getting a manslaughter charge from hitting some idiot who ran out in front of them while chillin' to some tunes if they can prove the pedestrian was breaking the law.
Okay Magus... you do realize that it will help more careless drivers who deserve to be punished get off than attentive drivers who were a victim of the circumstances right? If what you're saying is true then the law is even more illconceived than originally thought.
Of all people hit by cars since forever, 99.9% were wearing clothes (I dunno, probably some who weren't). Ban clothes. Ban talking to somebody else while you are walking, ban wide roads that take too long to cross. Actually... just decrease the speed limit everywhere so people just laugh it off when they get hit.
I also love how the article compares banning trans fats and indoor smoking to banning ipods in crosswalks. Oh ya, the city council banned other things? Why WOULDN'T they ban mp3 players in crosswalks...
E-mail Carl Kruger
Your email has been sent to Carl Kruger.
Sorry, but unless you are a constituent of Sen Kruger, he's not really going to care what your e-mail says. This law will never pass, Kruger would have to prove that listening to an iPod interferes with the average persons ability to function on a day to day basis. No so easy I'd imagine...
You know what could actually help in these situations? take away the pedestrians right of way... that way they always have to be on their toes when they cross the street. Even here in San Francisco (probably more so from all the crazy hippies ;) ) people just walk out without even looking, assuming the cars will stop for them. Well, i've got news for ya... it's a lot harder to stop a car than it is to stop walking into the street, and if a car hits you, the car can still drive, but you can't walk. Obviously there are times where pedestrians should still get to go (red lights, crossing signals), but if you make the pedestrians pay attention to what they're doing, they're much less likely to get smacked by a car.
Typical Democrat would try to ban something as benign as an IPOD. Somethings never come as a surprise...... If you want a nanny state, vote Democratic; if you like free choice and less government intervention to your personal life, vote Republican.
Less intervention? Since when?
You obviously are talking about another Republican party who isn't concerned with what people do in their bedroom, or what God the believe in - if at all... etc etc. We all know what they are about.
Because the one I know is just too Goddamned concerned with my personal life.
Brilliant. By proposaling an idiot bill, he is now on the map. I didnt' know who the hell Senator Kruger was until now.
I think this is a good idea, people need to be aware of their surroundings and everyone is plugged into their iPods now.
Sure, it's nice to listen to music but communities suffer when people stop talking to one another in favor of zoning out on their own.
I know the purpose of this site is to encourage product fetishism for technology products but the city is doing something to address a legitimate concern.
Doesn't anyone understand politics?
Kruger just has to look like he's doing something about the deaths in his district. It won't pass, obviously. But he'll be able to say, "I tried."
Wow...what happened to free will? Like everyone else said, survival of the fittest, if people are that dumb...good riddance. What about runners? Choose a route that doesn't involve crossing any streets?? I'd get dizzy running around the block....
Regarding the proposed ban of ipods while crossing streets, Senator, I believe that the Government of our state should have better things to do than protecting citizens too foolish to take off their headphones and look both ways.
Please devote your energy to other issues in our state like increasing budgets for education of our children while reducing the state taxes.
Howard Greenstein
Ryan, how is this a good idea? If you don't know enough to pay attention when you walk in the street, you have Darwinism at its finest. Don't punish me because you (not you literally) don't have the capacity to do something. I'm getting tired of least common denominator legislation.