A texting law that goes too far?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/texting-while-walking-banned-jersey-town-152720795--abc-news-topstories.html

Avid texters beware: Fort Lee, N.J. police said they will begin issuing $85 jaywalking tickets to pedestrians who are caught texting while walking.

"It's a big distraction. Pedestrians aren't watching where they are going and they are not aware," said Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department.

Ripoli said the borough, which is home to approximately 35,000 residents, has suffered three fatal pedestrian-involved accidents this year. He hopes his crackdown on people who display dangerous behavior while walking will make his town safer, but not everyone is on board with the idea of issuing $85 tickets.

"When I walk I still look around. I'm not like constantly looking down the whole time," said resident Sue Choe.

Another woman complained about the tickets were "a lot of money."

Officers handed out pamphlets during a short grace period in March before they began aggressively going after "dangerous walkers."

More than 117 tickets have been issued, according to the New Jersey Record. Two professors at Stony Brook University in New York conducted a study on walking and texting. They found texters are 60 percent more likely to veer off line than non-texters.

"We want to raise awareness that a real disruption occurs because of texting," Eric Lamberg, co-author of the study, told Long Island Business News. "Texting disrupts your ability much more than does talking."

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What about shaving while walking? Reading a book? Eating? Looking back at the hot woman who just passed you?

[mawilson 2,133]

"Land of the free"

[kytwell 179]

It's in NJ. No big surprise, they like being controlled and told what they can and can't do.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

There was an article out of the UK a few years ago where they were having to put padding on lamp-posts because too many idiots were running into them while texting.... This law might be a bit much, but it doesn't surprise me given that too many idiots can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

"Land of the free"

read more stuff like this story at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Police-State-USA-Land-of-the-Checkpoints/165801456790697

[mawilson 2,133]

Phew! For a second, I thought they were gonna make sexting illegal

[spookyturtle 9,465]

There was an article out of the UK a few years ago where they were having to put padding on lamp-posts because too many idiots were running into them while texting.... This law might be a bit much, but it doesn't surprise me given that too many idiots can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

And don't forget the idiots with their iPods blasting music that are also oblivious to the traffic around them. It seems that the digital age isn't a replacement for common sense.

[damulag 26]

Earlier in the year we had an 11 year old boy killed by a train while wearing ear buds, he did not hear the train and walked onto the tracks. Cars were stopped, gates down, lights flashing and he was oblivious.

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/140666053.html

[Iyawo Ijebu 157]

This thread ain't shyte until someone blames it on That One (Obama).

[james&olya 1,121]

Earlier in the year we had an 11 year old boy killed by a train while wearing ear buds, he did not hear the train and walked onto the tracks. Cars were stopped, gates down, lights flashing and he was oblivious.

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/140666053.html

Darwin awards!