iNanny

Cripes.  It never ends.

New Yorkers who blithely cross the street listening to an iPod or talking on a cell phone could soon face a $100 fine.

New York State Sen. Carl Kruger says three pedestrians in his Brooklyn district have been killed since September upon stepping into traffic while distracted by an electronic device. In one case bystanders screamed "watch out" to no avail.

Kruger says he will introduce legislation on Wednesday to ban the use of gadgets such as Blackberry devices and video games while crossing the street.

"Government has an obligation to protect its citizenry," Kruger said in a telephone interview from Albany, the state capital.

Yes, Senator.  Kindly protect the citizenry from force and fraud.  There end your protective duties.  We haven't hired to you protect us from our own stupid music-listening habits.  Plenty of people undoubtedly get run down each year due to failing to look both ways before crossing.  Just last week, I was crossing 44th Street mid-block.  Since it's a one-way street, I only looked west; seeing no traffic, I trotted on out.  An immediate collision with a bike messenger traveling the wrong way reminded me, in wind-knocking-out fashion, of the wisdom of the "look both ways" philosophy.  But should cops start issuing citations to anyone observed crossing without looking both ways?  (Okay, I was also jaywalking, as I was mid-block, but you see my point.)

How many people die each year running marathons?  Last year: at least six.  So shouldn't we outlaw running in the New York Marathon?  Sure it's fun, but it's dangerous.  For some people, it's irresponsible and careless.  Don't these people likewise need to be protected from their own poor decision-making?

What about people who use the same hand they've been holding onto the subway handrail with to wipe their noses?  Can we allow them to take such brazen health risks and let them get away with it?  What about those people who think a twelve-foot golf umbrella is acceptable on Manhattan sidewalks?  They're risking at very least a punch in the teeth.  And Coney Island Polar Bear club members exercise such dangerously poor judgment, they should probably be shot on sight.

(HT: RFTR)

Previously:
New York Loves the N-Word
Nannyism Is the New Black
Nannyism in New York

---

Update: Urban Elephants has an on-point iMod of its own.