In 2007, two distracted pedestrians were hit and killed. The incident is of one of many that has convinced State Senator, Carl Kruger, to enforce a law that would prevent such tragedies from occurring. The Brooklyn lawmaker is proposing a one hundred dollar fine for those who choose to use their phones on busy city streets. Additionally, they will have to appear in front of a judge. Kruger says, "It's no different from jay walking." He added that, "This is not only a hazard to the person who's using the device; it's a safety threat to the person driving the car."
The problem is growing and last month on the Upper East Side, a dump truck backed into and killed a 21-year-old college student while he was using his iPod. New York is not alone in the fight to ban unnecessary and dangerous cell phone usage, Arkansas lawmakers are pushing for the law as well. New Yorkers have mixed feelings. Midtown pedestrian, Eddie Lopez says, "I can understand if you're in a vehicle but walking on the streets of New York you're in constant communication with people. That's why we have cell phones. That's silly, it really is." On the other hand, pedestrian Michael Serra says, "I agree with that. It's about safety. You have headphones in, you don't hear somebody coming in a car making the wrong turn and they get themselves killed." If the new law is passed, New Yorkers will have to weigh the consequences and give their cell phones a rest.
