Jon Holato

New York State Senator Carl Kruger introduced a bill in Albany today which seeks to ban the use of gadgets such as iPods, cell phones and gaming devices for pedestrians traversing New York City’s concrete jungle. He is seeking to impose a $100 fine on violators in an effort to crack down on pedestrian fatalities due to stepping into traffic as a result of distraction from the devices.

I really didn’t want to write an entry about this as it will surely be covered extensively throughout the blogosphere, however as I directly fall into the group of people who would be effected by this law (coupled with the fact that I have an NYC category on this blog) I felt that I had to make an entry for it.

I can understand, and even appreciate, a politician’s concern for his or her citizens (provided it is not merely for personal gain), but to Mr. Kruger I have to say: what on Earth are you thinking? First you take away cell phones for automobile drivers, then you take away smoking in public, recently you got rid of trans fat, and now you want to take away the use of our gadgets? Have you lost it?

New York City is arguably the center of the financial world, and I think its safe to say that there may be more Blackberry users in New York City than in any other metropolitan area in the world. How are you to tell all these businessmen and women that they cannot use their Blackberry devices while on the street? And their employers, all these Fortune 500 companies. I see people all over the streets everyday on these things, and prohibiting their use would directly affect the productivity of the businesses issuing them.

There are scores of other reasons that make this proposal seem beyond ridiculous, but at this point I’d rather go to bed than to continue writing about a political mistake so absurd it makes one wonder if this was merely a Paris Hiltonesque publicity stunt.

Tomorrow’s headline: Carl Kruger announces presidential candidacy!