Playing with a handheld game console while you are walking the streets of New York may incur a fine of $100, if legislation submitted by New York State Senator Carl Kruger passes.
The bill comes in response to the recent problem of pedestrians stepping into traffic while engrossed with playing their video games, cell phones, or iPods. Three pedestrians have been killed since last September after inadvertently walking into traffic while using electronic gadgets.
Kruger expressed his dismay at the problem of what he sees as very dangerous distractions. "Government has an obligation to protect its citizenry. This electronic gadgetry is reaching the point where it’s becoming not only endemic but it’s creating an atmosphere where we have a major public safety crisis at hand."
The Senator may have stepped on a few pedestrian toes as some see the legislation as a breach of individual freedom. Kruger defended himself by stating, "I’m not trying to intrude on that. But what’s happening is when they’re tuning into their iPod or Blackberry or cell phone or video game, they’re walking into speeding buses and moving automobiles. It’s becoming a nationwide problem."
Whether these accidents have turned into a nationwide "major public safety crisis" is questionable, at best, as Kruger offers no solid evidence or case studies to support his claims. But the legislation is one of many proposed by politicians who target video games as the culprit of society’s woes. If anything, using video games as a platform to garner the attention of their respective constituencies gives these political professionals the public’s ear and news coverage–if not a few votes along the way, as well.
