Feb 7, 2007 7:18 AM

New York Sen. Proposes Crosswalk Ban on iPods

New Yorkers watch out: Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) wants to protect you from yourselves. Following recent deaths of pedestrials sauntering over the city’s roads while distracted by iPods, cellphones and the like, he’s decided they should be banned on the street. “We’re talking about people walking sort of tuned in and in the process of […]

Kruger04
New Yorkers watch out: Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) wants to protect you from yourselves. Following recent deaths of pedestrials sauntering over the city's roads while distracted by iPods, cellphones and the like, he's decided they should be banned on the street.

"We're talking about people walking sort of tuned in and in the process of being tuned in, tuned out," Kruger, a Democrat, told WCBS-TV. "Tuned out to the world around them. They're walking into speeding cars. They're walking into buses. They're walking into one another."

The fine for using such a device while on a crosswalk (and additional to jaywalking fines, presumably, in relevant cases) would be a flat $100. The City of Buffalo would also be included, under the legislation's proposed terms, according to the Fox affiliate linked below.

Legislation that might lead to less candidates for the Darwin Awards is, in my book, not at all cricket.

Report: New York State Senator Wants to Ban iPods From Crosswalks [Fox]

Comments

The Best Water Filter Pitchers for PFAS- and Lead-Free Living

Water filters promise the moon—but only some back up their claims. Here are the best filtered-water pitchers for those who prefer their water free of heavy metals and forever chemicals.

Matthew Korfhage

The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril

As major news outlets cut off the Wayback Machine, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the Internet Archive’s vast collection of web pages.

Kate Knibbs

The Dumbest Hack of the Year Exposed a Very Real Problem

Last April, a hacker hijacked crosswalk announcements to mimic Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Records obtained by WIRED reveal how unprepared local authorities were.

Paresh Dave

AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life

The developers of Pixel Societies are using AI agents to simulate social interactions. It's an attempt optimize the process of choosing new colleagues, friends, and even romantic partners.

Joel Khalili

A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why

Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.

Stephanie Pearson

The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For

AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.

Miles Klee

It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend

Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.

Luke Larsen

There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home

Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.

Jeremy White

The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones

As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.

Miles Klee

The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App

The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.

Matthew Korfhage