Legislation & Lobbying
Proposed Illinois Bill Would Ban Street-Crossers from Text-Messaging
Posted Jul 28, 2008, 02:59 pm CST
By Martha Neil
Seeking to save pedestrians from themselves, Illinois lawmakers have been considering a new law that would ban them from walking and text-messaging or, apparently, otherwise using a cell phone while crossing city streets.
Under House Bill 4520, which was introduced early this year by state Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago), pedestrians could be fined $25 for doing so, reports the Chicago Tribune in a lengthy article slated for tomorrow's newspaper. The offense would be a misdemeanor.
Such multitasking puts both the texter and others at undue risk, Dunkin tells the newspaper. "This legislation is not laughable. On the surface it's like, 'Oh wow, what is this?' But it's becoming more and more of a common problem with people haplessly crossing an intersection and almost killing themselves."
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Comments
Posted by Daniel Santefort - 3 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes ago
Congrats. this is a great bill. Just a matter of time that a text messager gets hit by a bus. I live in Downtown Chicago. I walk a lot. I see people 100 yards ahead of me texting and never looking up. Then when they bump into people they look at the people like they are rude.
Posted by R Philip - 3 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 11 hours, 28 minutes ago
I think it would be great if they *were* hit by a bus. It’s called evolution in action. A law preventing it won’t actually prevent it (as most laws don’t prevent the things they are declaring illegal) and will just be another waste of police time.
Posted by Rob - 3 months, 3 weeks, 19 hours, 52 minutes ago
What about walking and chewing gum? That can’t be safe. And pencils ... they’re very sharp on one end ... there aught to be a law against walking while holding and/or have a sharpened pencil in your pocket. Crayons are okay though, and they make your correspondence look like it’s from a much younger person.
Rob:-]