Politicians to the Rescue...Again!

First, we had politicians reminding us that we might need a jacket when going outside in sub-zero temperatures. Now this:

Ban Proposed On Cell Phones, iPods In Crosswalk

NEW YORK - A state senator from Brooklyn said on Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation that would ban people from using an MP3 player, cell phone, Blackberry or any other electronic device while crossing the street in New York City and Buffalo.

NewsChannel 4 reported that Sen. Carl Kruger is proposing the ban in response to two recent pedestrian deaths in his district, including a 23-year-old man who was struck and killed last month while listening to his iPod on Avenue T and East 71st Street In Bergen Beach.

Senator Kruger might have a point. After all, New York had not had a single pedestrian death in its history until the iPod made its first appearance.

The article continues:

"While people are tuning into their iPods and cell phones, they're tuning out the world around them," Kruger said. The proposed law would make talking on cell phones while crossing the street a comparable offense to jaywalking.

One cannot help but wonder how the human race managed to survive for millenia prior to this kind of leadership and guidance.

I think a better solution would be sidewalk toll booths. However, instead of paying 75 cents at a crosswalk, pedestrians will be forced to pay attention. That seems to make as much sense as any other piece of legislation that seeks to save us from ourselves.