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.
Tech-consuming New Yorkers trudge to work on sidewalks and subways
like an army of drones, appearing to talk to themselves on wireless
devices or swaying to seemingly silent tunes.