New York State Senator Carl Kruger is looking at banning the use of electronic devices such as mobile phones and digital audio players like the iPod, when crossing streets in New York.

Citing that a number of fatalities in the city have been attributed to people not paying attention to crossing traffic due to personal phones or audio players, the Senator hopes to ban the use of these types of gadgets in city crosswalks in an effort to “look out for the people”.

“While people are tuning into their iPods and cell phones, they’re tuning out the world around them,” said Kruger. “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.”

Kruger made it clear that he is not against the iPod specifically, or against the use of any personal electronic device like the iPod. In fact in his statement he encourages the use of the devices in what he considers appropriate places such as sitting, walking in the park or on a jogging path. The part he is stands against is using the devices while “crossing streets and endangering yourself and the lives of others.”

This seems like it would be a pretty tough bill to get passed, especially in a city such as New York where mobile phone and MP3 player use are more than common. Naturally as you would expect, some New Yorkers had a few things to say about it.

“That’s not a distraction,” said a woman wearing an iPod at the time. “You have your iPod in your ears and you’re crossing the street, you are looking with your eyes. You don’t have to hear anything, really … I guess.”

Another New Yorker stated: “It’s a terrible idea. It’s outrageous.”

The bill that Kruger is proposing to ban the phones and iPod’s in crosswalks would only apply to the bigger cities in New York state where bills against indoor smoking and trans fats have already been approved.

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