US Senator thinks iPods can kill you

The US is moving toward the Nanny State!

In happier news, Gamestop is firing staff that sell games to underage kids and also their managers.

Uhm.. what did that guy smoke when he came up with that idea? :|

Ooookay, yeah it's dangerous, but when people use one THEY take the risk, and unless they do it while driving or something, then they will only cause harm to themselves. May as well ban alcohol, cos that kills you. Oh yeah and saturated fats as well, anyone eating saturated fats faces a $100 fine, police will be on hand to test any food you eat for saturated fats. People who sell food that contain saturated fats will be executed on the spot.

And in next weeks news Senator plans to introduce a bubble wrap law requiring everyone in the city to wrapped in at least 6 meters of Bubble wrap, the Senator is quoted as saying "this will allow the cushioning of all impacts on streets and as a bonus will allow people to relieve stress by popping bubbles."
Mind you will a law that dramatically impacts the way Wall Street currently does business have any chance of being passed.

Originally Posted by Jokkocze
Uhm.. what did that guy smoke when he came up with that idea? :|

maybe jack thompson

this sounds stupid, i thought Britain was the nanny state (though we would probably follow suit if it passes)

its sad though, i generally don't go along fiddling with my MP3 player when I'm walking, but i do listen to it, why shouldn't i be allowed to ...

LMFAO!!!

Someone probably said to him 'imagine we could get $100 from every person on the street with an ipod or blackberry' jokingly and he just saw dollar signs and created the bill... :D

How do morons like that get to be senators. He is just trying to make a name for himself, no chance he will have any success. What sort of free country would prevent people from carrying any active electrical device on foot in a whole city. Would it not be possible to pass a bill where when someone does something like this and fails they have to wear a hat with "Im a ******* Idiot" written on it?

and the first nomination for F**king stupid idea has officially been received, the nominee go's into a prize draw in win 1 of 5 ipods

Well, easy way to solve any crime involving ipods: use black headphones. The white headphones are so distinctive nowadays, theives know exactly what to look for. If everyone who had an ipod had black headphones instead, then it would make it alot harder for the theives to know what the person would be carrying, and most likely reduce this crime rate.

That's what I think anyway, probably a load of crap.

But they're wanting to ban mobile phones on the streets of New York too? That's far too excessive.

Can I clear something up? I've seen the bill before and you would only get a citation IF you were caught using a mobile device WHILE crossing a street. That's it. Still a little excessive.

Originally Posted by calking13
Can I clear something up? I've seen the bill before and you would only get a citation IF you were caught using a mobile device WHILE crossing a street. That's it. Still a little excessive.

yeah true. Tim, your article is misleading and a little sensationalist. I thought this place was bit-tech - not the SUN ;)

@calking: i dunno man. the amount if people i see paying NO attention to what they're doing while lost in conversation on their phone or trying to find a song on their mp3 player - i had to grab some guy to stop him from getting nailed by a taxi once, he was so engaged on his phone he didn't notice the traffic - i think it might make people actually take notice, and may reduce the number of fatalities we see. it's pretty much the same as driving while on the phone.

Whats next? Banning talking to people on the street, in case you loose concentration? Maybe we should all walk a few feet apart so we don't bang into each other or trip over..!

Originally Posted by Fod
yeah true. Tim, your article is misleading and a little sensationalist. I thought this place was bit-tech - not the SUN ;)

@calking: i dunno man. the amount if people i see paying NO attention to what they're doing while lost in conversation on their phone or trying to find a song on their mp3 player - i had to grab some guy to stop him from getting nailed by a taxi once, he was so engaged on his phone he didn't notice the traffic - i think it might make people actually take notice, and may reduce the number of fatalities we see. it's pretty much the same as driving while on the phone.

If people can't be bothered to be consciously aware of things happening around them, then I'm afraid it's just a case of natural selection :)

Originally Posted by kenco_uk
If people can't be bothered to be consciously aware of things happening around them, then I'm afraid it's just a case of natural selection :)

All I can say to that is.. w0rd dude

Originally Posted by kenco_uk
If people can't be bothered to be consciously aware of things happening around them, then I'm afraid it's just a case of natural selection :)

I agree ;).

hes right

I think its just a case of being extra aware of whats about. I use a pair of Etymotic ER4Ps that block out everything. Watching cars go past and make no noise is pretty weird.

I haven't died... yet :P and most people with iPods use the stock earphones which let in plenty of noise. How you can just walk out into traffic I have no idea.

Fact: stupid people don't look around before crossing the street. I nearly run over umpteen zillion pinheads every week because they simply don't think before they walk (as if their few brain cells are so involved with the process of walking, they no longer have energy enough to process the notion and then the action of taking in their surroundings before moving into or along the street where big, heavy metal machines could possibly crush their tiny, squishy bodies).

Fact: stupid people pay more attention to their cell phone conversations and their iPods while driving or walking or biking than they do to their surroundings. Mix the two together, you have a disaster in the making.

Fact: Whenever a pedestrian or a bicyclist is hit by a car, accidentally or intentionally, insurance premiums skyrocket for everyone involved. Medical professionals and law enforcement officers are taken out of action to deal with them, which should be a crime on the part of the "victim" if they engaged in criminally negligent behavior in the first place (paying more attention to their cell phone conversation or wearing headphones with an iPod while crossing the street---can't hear traffic or blaring horns warning them to get the hell out of the way).

Conclusion: I'm am all for NOT banning the use of these devices, so that more stupid people can be made aware of first hand the lessons of Evolution, and therein hopefully reduce the number of stupid-genes in the gene pool.

:(

At my friends school a girl was hit by a freight train and killed. She was walking down the tracks listening to an iPod and wearing a white jacket in the snow so they couldn't see her at all. How, in the world, I'm not even going to start. Darwin was right. End of story.

So basically...

<ring...ring>

"Jack Thompson please"

"This is Jack Thompson"

"Hey Jack, you know that idea we had about banning anything with batteries? Well guess what, the senate loves it!"

"Oh? That's fantastic! Now let's get a bill passed to ban the internet!"

This to me is totaly and uterly ridiculas, i hope this bill doesnt pass, even though i dont live in the US, but it could find its way to blighty.

Sam

:(

EDIT: Oops maybe now they'll ban hitting your head against a brick wall

Darwin's evolution theories haven't been applicable for humans for a while now. Modern Medicine, Health and Safety Bureaucrats and Idiot Proofing has pretty much killed the process.

How many "...can live a perfectly normal life now..." documentaries/news items etc. have you seen, a perfectly normal life means children and passing on genetic problems. On an individual level it's great but at big picture scale it's a timebomb. Racial hatred means that the gene pool isn't being stirred enough. Medicine etc means the mouldy bits aren't being scooped out of the gene pool.

There's nothing that can be done though Governments will bubble wrap their citizens and medicine will serve the many voices of individuals suffering genetic disease.

/rant might've gone slightly off topic :(

I agree that banning is stupid... however....

Most of us seem to agree that they get what they deserve... but what if you're the driver that injures or kills someone who just stepped in front of you cause they weren't paying attention? Besides having that guilt on you, you will probably also have both civil and criminal court to first prove that hitting the guy wasn't a criminial negligent act on your part... and then also defending yourself from the guy's family who can't believe that "johnny" could have caused his own injury/death by not paying attention and wants you to pay for it.

Is the answer to ban devices? No. Banning while crossing? Perhaps.... perhaps not. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

I work for a public works department in Oregon and every day I see people doing stupid things when on the phone in their car. Most red lights I see run are buy cell phone users or people fiddling with somthing in their lap. I even see people walk across busy highways with no thought to traffic, while they are talking on phones or listening to a music player.

Rather than ban how about hold those people accountable and negligent when in an accident. It might open the eyes of the public (hopeful wishing) and encourage people to think twice.

instead of making a law, why not put it on all the news channels?

sorry but i have to do this:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA this guy is an idiot.

This is my view: I am an avid cyclist, I ride back and forth to work daily (30minutes each direction), and do about 4-5 hours worth of cycling on weekends just to keep in shape. Now, I've always worn headphones while riding, just to keep the boredom at bay. Without them, it just doesn't seem the same.

So anyway, I've been hit by three vehicles in the past few years. This is how it breaks down:

First time: going along the side of the road, in the correct direction, light changes in my favor, so I pull out into the intersection and get creamed by a vehicle making a left turn. Me and the bike were dragged/pushed about 3 feet sideways. Destroyed my bike, and did some minor damage to my ankles (not enough for me to really worry about it, as I completely crushed in the front quarter panel of the vehicle). Got the information, as they did stop, but never did anything about it, as I figured it was about equal damage (but the bystanders demanded I sue).

Second time: riding along the sidewalk of an extremely busy road (this is a MARKED cycle path), while hauling some bicycle components on my rack (was transporting a frame among other things to work to start on a project). Anyway, while riding slowly (as I didn't want to damage my load) I pull up to an alley entry way, where a car just decides to pull directly in front of me, and stop about five inches away from traffic moving 60kph+. To my left was a 36foot high cement wall. To my right was the traffic. So I slammed into the side of this persons car, as there was not enough time or space to stop (I had my breaks on max, but still couldn't stop fast enough). This time my bike (and thankfully my load) wasn't damaged, but I did smash the side mirror clean off with my fist as I ran into the vehicle (this is one of the reasons I wear such heavy leather gloves).

Third time (two days after the second time): riding along the same basic stretch of sidewalk, but about 15 blocks further west, hauling another bike frame on the side of my bike to work (selling). Stop at an intersection, wait for a vehicle to stop, and the driver waved me through the intersection. I get going, then this person literally drives into the side of my bike pushing my rear end over about a foot before I am noticed there. Biggest look of disgust I've ever seen on anybody in my life. Because, you know, it is obviously my fault that I got driven into while legally crossing an intersection, after being waved through by this same person. And no, I did not stop or slow down at any point while crossing. Frame I was hauling was bent so badly it was garbage, but the drivers vehicle was in good shape.



To sum it up:
2/3 were on cell phones (first two)
2/3 were female drivers (last two)
2/3 were in vans (first and third)
1/3 had music up very loud (could hear over my headphones; second time)
3/3 were entirely not my fault

Guess what? All three times I was wearing headphones, playing music loudly, and yet I knew they were there before they knew I was.

Maybe they should ban music in cars, as it is the same exact idea...

Deleted

Originally Posted by TheRedMann
I work for a public works department in Oregon and every day I see people doing stupid things when on the phone in their car. Most red lights I see run are buy cell phone users or people fiddling with somthing in their lap. I even see people walk across busy highways with no thought to traffic, while they are talking on phones or listening to a music player.

Originally Posted by BBC
Hard-hitting films highlighting the dangers of pedestrians using mobile phones or iPods will be shown to pupils as part of a road safety campaign organised by the local authority-funded Safer Roads For Cumbria.

Everybody seems to think accidents only happen to other people, who must be morons anyway. They think in their arrogance they personally have some special skills. So they'll ignore the law (and common sense) and cause accidents, not only to themselves but to other people. Making it illegal is maybe OTT in this case (though plenty of places in the USA already have jaywalking laws) but education is certainly needed.

in which case will we see a ban to newspapers, talking to freinds and drinking/eating - on the streets?

ridiculous proposal, it doesnt even sound like you can be stopped o a bench or something and doing stuff.

I am a Yank and registered here on Bit-Tech to assure all of Great Britten that we are not this screwed up, at least as a country.

"US Senator thinks iPods can kill you"

Well, he is a senator in the US, but he is not a US Senator. He is a New York State Senator. He can only create laws in New York state.

An yes, it is a stupid idea. There must be a couple of million iPods in NYC walking the streets every day. In my view, the only way to get people out and vote is for a law to get between the voter and his/her entertainment. This will surely end his legislative career.

The USA has a President, Senate and House of Representatives. States typically have a Governor, Senate and House of Representatives.

newest simpson tonight shows in 200 years iPod will rule mankind... lol

i thought thats funny....

That senator is now officially retarded! Talk about freedom. It sounds like an absurd rule in a dictatorship. It's your own choice, and people are independent enough to make it. What's gonna be illegal next? Maybe the senator owns a company that will provide the people to enforce that law :|