omg! A Ban on Using Cell Phones While Walking?
Thursday July 31, 2008
Always look both ways -- and hang up – before crossing the street! The State of Illinois has become the first state to consider a bill making it a crime for pedestrians to cross streets while using a wireless device.
The bill, HB 4520, comes in reaction to a growing number of cases of distracted pedestrians being injured while reading and sending text messages.
Quoted in the Chicago Tribune, the bill’s sponsor State Rep. Ken Dunkin stated, "This legislation is not laughable. On the surface it’s like, 'Oh wow, what is this?' But it’s becoming more and more of a common problem with people haplessly crossing an intersection and almost killing themselves."
Should AB 4520 become law, pedestrians caught "using a wireless telephone while crossing a roadway," could be fined $25. Hey! Hang up and walk!
Comments
I am in favor! I’m a walking expert and a walker. People on cell phones while walking are as distracted as they are when driving. On the other hand, I’m sort of a libertarian, so that puts my pet peeves at odds with my philosophy.
I am so sick of every single stupid thing being judged and dictated to by people who refuse to mind their own business. If someone gets hurt then its THEIR problem. The gov’t and anyone else who thinks they should be ruler of the universe should butt-out and worry about themselves. Get a life.
FLUNKIN DUNKIN! After reading the article I’m alarmed that a State Representative who’s district is facing so many serious problems is spending his time introducing such unnecessary legisltaion. It’s not laughable, it’s just plain irresponsible. Ken Dunkin should be more concerned with the children being killed on his streets and the state’s buget crisis rather than the texting habbits of Chicago’s walkers. What’s he going to take on next, J walking?!
-Dan Balanoff
this is a sad sign of our civilizations’ demise. We seem to need laws to protect ourselves from things that should be avoided using common sense. I txt while walking all the time, never while driving; but banning it while WALKING, seriously?!? I can perfectly understand a case involving a motor vehicle as a distracted driver may inflict harm on another person, however when you are walking; you the only person who is likely to be hurt! if you run into a light pole or walk into a street; its your on dam* fault… youll learn not to do it again! what ever happened to natural selection? lol, no wonder our gene pool is so jacked up, we cant even eliminate people who dont have enough sense to keep themselves from walking into lightpoles and injuring themselves!!!!! And Dan, your SO right; dont these lagistlators have SERIOUS stuff to attend to…
it seems that cell phones are a way of life in the us. i think that drivers using cell phones should be getting the attention over pedetrians. driving a vehicle takes 100% concentration… using a cell phone distracts from that in a dangerous way.
I think its about time. I am so tired of people just randomly walking out infront of cars because they are too busy texting or talking to pay attention if there is a car coming. And actually it is the governments problem when things like this happen. It costs money to pay the people to take that 911 call and for the people who drive the ambulances and the police men. Its just one more way to waste money because you were being stupid.
No. I don’t do that in public places such as in the streets or in the shopping center, because someone may just snap it from me and run away. That is such in the area where I live.