TAKING THE "I" OUT OF iPOD

"We're talking about people ...tuned out to the world around them. They're walking into speeding cars. They're walking into buses. They're walking into one another and it's creating a number of fatalities that have been documented right here in the city." - NY State Senator Carl Kruger (D).

Night of the living dead? Zombies attack?  Hardly.  Sen. Carl Kruger is referring to the iPOD, cell phone, and blackberry users who, if you hear him tell it, have taken over the city, leaving death and destruction in their wake.

To address this epidemic, and further restrict the liberties of citizens living in the greatest city in the world, Mr. Kruger has proposed a bill that, if passed, would prohibit citizens from using these devices while crossing the street.  The fine for a violation? $100.  Finally, New York's finest  can focus on the real problem.

Pedestrian deaths supposedly linked to distraction from personal devices is running at 3%, according to the USDOT (PDF).  Alcohol related  pedestrian deaths, on the other hand, account for a staggering 40%!

But don't worry.  It's only a matter of time until they come after your alcohol.