By MICHAEL VIRTANEN

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Walk, jog or bicycle across a New York street with an iPod plugged in your ears and you could get slapped with a $100 ticket under a new law proposed by a legislator from Brooklyn.

 

State Sen. Carl Kruger's bill would also outlaw the use of cell phones, Blackberries, video games or other electronic devices when crossing the street.

 

He cited the death of a 21-year-old man who was listening to music when he stepped off a curb and was hit by a bus in Brooklyn in September, and the death of a 23-year-old iPod listener last month.

 

"If you're so involved in your electronic device that you can't see or hear a car coming, this is indicative of a larger problem that requires some sort of enforcement beyond the application of common sense," Kruger said.

 

Jason Koppel, Kruger's chief of staff, said listeners would merely have to pull the earphones out for the few seconds it takes to cross the street.

 

Kruger said the legislation would be introduced this week.

 

Charlotte Troisgros, 16, a Manhattan student talking on her cell phone in a crosswalk near City Hall on Wednesday, laughed and said the law may not be such a bad idea.

 

"You really don't pay attention. You might get hit by a car," she said.

 

E. Christopher Murray, a civil liberties attorney, said the proposal is excessive.

 

"With our schools failing, health costs out of control, and crushing property taxes, the legislature would rather play mother by legislating how we cross the street," he said. "What's next? Do you get fined if you don't look both ways?"

This is fucking ridiculous to say the least.

Okay, a person died. People die every day. I had to look this up, but per 1,000 people, the death rate is 8.26 daily. Not so bad, eh? But considering the United States population (as of July 2006 est) of 298,444,215 that 8.26 / 1,000 comes out to: a whole lot of fucking people (Math is my subpar subject).

Very quickly, the country known for freedom is going to become a country not known for freedom. What's next? Walking and talking, walking and blinking, seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I see the point they are trying to make, but banning something because of a few deaths is absurd. Why not ban fast food? You know, since America outranks any other country with heart disease and obesity, as well as suicide related deaths, depression, incarceration rate, total number of incarcerated / under correctional supervision, over 300,000 homeless, cannot protect our own borders yet rebuilding a country we're at war with, gas prices crippling the non-rich popullation, having no middle class, etc. Why not fix those problems?

Or is it just baby steps right now?