We need more laws to protect us from our own stupidity

@blueskies (1186)
United States
February 8, 2007 3:31pm CST
This appears to be the case, at least in New York. a New York senator is trying to make it illegal to talk on your cell phone or listen to an mp3 player while crossing the street. His justification is that 2 men in his district have been hit while engaging in this activity. Here's a link to the story: http://www.rnews.com/print.cfm?id=45976 So, my question is, at what point does personal responsibility come into play? Do we really need laws like this to make us wake up and smell the coffee enough to prevent being hit by a car? Are we really so stupid that we can't get through life without our every move being dictated by law and fear of fines or arrest?
22 people like this
66 responses
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Wow. My question is, have laws like this already been passed for people who are driving? Because I can see a need for that. But I think that people who are walking should be more under their own jurisdiction. It's boring enough having to walk a long distance without even being allowed to listen to something, lol! I guess that you would still be able to listen as long as you took your earphones out when you were crossing a street, but it would be difficult to always remember to do that. Hmm. I just don't know, it seems like this law is taking things a little bit too far.
5 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I remember back in the "old days" when people would walk down the street or ride the bus or drive their car, with no Walkman, no iPod, no cell phone, nothing! It's amazing the hardships we had to endure in the past... ;-) I guess I'm old fashioned, I don't see walking as boring, I like to hear what's going on around me... the street conversations,the birds chirping, the taxi about to run me over, LOL In my state it is indeed illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving, unless it's a hands-free model. Not that it seems to stop people, I almost got run over one the other day.
2 people like this
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Yes, in NY, it's illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving. My own husband has been pulled over and warned for picking up his cell phone on his way home one night (I thought he hadn't left work yet).
1 person likes this
8 Feb 07
I think that law is ridiculous. People should be able to take more responsibility for their own actions. I think Americans are bad at this they tend to sue everyone for things like the case of the women who sued mcdonalds when her hot drink scalded her legs when she was driving away from the drive through. People in the UK are just as bad. Because we have a free health service they let their doctors treat their symptoms instead of trying to seek out the cause of the problems and stopping them getting to the point when they need a doctor.
4 people like this
@starr4all (2863)
8 Feb 07
I think it's stupid to make laws like this. It takes away our own responsibility. If people get killed by your example, I'm sorry to say, then it's just survival of the fittest. IF they would have paid attention to what they were doing instead of talking on the phone then they would be alive or not hurt. It's common sense stuff, but the govt. is pretty much telling us we have no common sense.
4 people like this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I think they are sticking their noses in too far. Not sure if it is for safety, or the chance to fine more people. Pretty soon they will be fining us for going outside at a certain hour. Those people should have known better. They did not need a law to tell them that and they paid the price for stupidity. Leave us alone and put time in where it is really needed. Homeless, healthcare, elderly, social security and quit trying to see how to get out of helping them.
3 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
8 Feb 07
People *are* pretty stupid sometimes... and greedy. Halloween costumes for characters like Superman usually carry a warning on the box like, 'Wearing this costume will not enable you to fly.' Why? Because some idiot will try to fly with the costume on, and will sue the manufacturer when he gets hurt.
4 people like this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Living in NY I heard this yesterday-- I think it is crazy.. But then again I have been driving and had mostly teenagers not look- oblivious to the world-- walk right out in front of me with an ipod-- or a cell phone.. Paying more attention to that then to cars around them. I think the object of this is to scare people with the fines $100 per violation.. I think NY is trying to be proactive- by making people pay attention and having fewer deaths or injuries- I don't think there should be a law though- only because there are too many laws now- People just need to be more careful.. I can't imagine driving and a kid walking out so quickly that I couldn't stop and hitting them. It's illegal to use your cell phone unless its hands free in NY..
@freesoul (3021)
• Egypt
9 Feb 07
I think this would be one of the stupidest laws in recent history.. there are a collection of stupid laws published on the internet but they are actually very old and obsolete, they just stayed there because no one thought about abolishing them.. It will be also helpful to make a law to make it illegal to cross a street before looking both ways first lol
2 people like this
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Excellent point. Perhaps we should forward that as an addendum to his proposed law?
1 person likes this
@Bytemi (1553)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I hear this story today at lunch and I thought it wasthe stupidest thing I every heard. Why can't people be responsible for their own actions, if I want to walk and talk or drive and talk that is my choose and I can do it in a responsible manner without having to go to have the police give me a ticket or arrest me.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
i guess the next law that will come into effect is you will have a certain time to go to the bathroom this goverment is soi crazy they will think of anything to make people pay more money
2 people like this
@lynn3024 (198)
• Canada
9 Feb 07
wow, i really don't know how to respond to this. it's kinda crazy. Would'nt it be common sense to look and listen before you cross a street. I don't think this law will solve anything. We can't make a law for every little stupid thing that a person does.
@aiguy01 (588)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Many of us are not that stupid. But sadly for now many of us can not. I can't tell you the number of times I have seen people reading books and putting makeup on while driving. Lets say for the sake of argument that you are of average intelligence. That means that a full 50% of the US is dumber than you are. Some of them a lot dumber. The laws are there to protect all of us. If one of these bozos get run over it raises all of our insurance rates. It ties up traffic and inconveniences all of us. Law's aare always made to protect us from the people on the bottom 5% of the bell curve.
2 people like this
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
9 Feb 07
It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "unable to walk and chew gum at the same time", doesn't it?
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Feb 07
I do not see how in the world they are going to get this law into effect! They cannot even control people talking on the cell phones while driving in NY! What's next, no talking while you walk because you are unable to do two things at once! lol I'm sure there are many accidents all around the world because of loss of attention - from one reason or another. I just do not think the public is going to agree with this law.
2 people like this
@yanjiaren (9031)
8 Feb 07
how many of us in today's society are able to self regulate themselves eh? for the logical mensa trained that would be o.k but with a growing densa popultation it may well be needed..where does my freedom end where your's begins? i think this is the forever confusing question the liberal mind will ask itself.
2 people like this
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
8 Feb 07
"densa" I love that :)
1 person likes this
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
8 Feb 07
My husband wouldn't be shy about where he stands on stuff like this. He thinks stupid people, if they do stupid things and it gets them killed, so BE it. Nature doesn't protect animals from stupidity, so why should we? If you are going to do something dumb, maybe you should pay for your stupidity. At what point do we have to protect each citizen with a plastic bubble so that no one ever has to pay for their consequences? How do people learn to deal with the consequences of their actions, if we are protected from every danger out there? and do I work my tail of so that my tax dollars are spent this way? I hope not...
3 people like this
@nannacroc (4049)
8 Feb 07
Apparently in England, we no longer know how to keep ourselves safe or care for our children. Only the lawmakers know. It seems that both here and over there, the minority of idiots are the ones who are catered for and the majority, who behave sensibly without laws telling them what to do, have to suffer. I think if an adult is too stupid to look before crossing a road then they should not be allowed out on their own.
2 people like this
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I heard about this earlier this morning and was shocked about this senator trying to pass a law for making it illegal to talk on cell phones and listen to Ipods while crossing the street. It is just silly and people will come up with anything. It is ridiculous but I assume he is trying to look after the best interest of both the drivers and the pedestrians. Pretty soon there will be a law for every little thing out there.
• United States
8 Feb 07
Why does this NOT surprise me? I'm so tired of morons who truly want to make their millions off of others and never want to accept responsibility for their own actions. It's someone else's fault if you get drunk and die or kill someone else with your car. It's someone's fault because they didn't explain that hot coffee meant that it was HOT. I mean, the list goes on. It's just so whacked out anymore!
@imadriscoll (2228)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Ha! This is just great! "We" really are stupid. I would say that anyone who gets hit by a car because they are too busy talking on their cell phone, definately doesn't need laws to protect them ... they need a sense of responsibility. Think about the people who hit these people ... I'm sure they will never forget the day that someone else's stupidity turned their lives upside down. Or what if it was me driving with my kiddos in the van and someone walked out in front of me because they weren't paying attention - if I had to swerve to avoid hitting them and my children were harmed. Hmmm, laws might help somethings, but it won't cure stupidity!
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
8 Feb 07
This has already just become law in Australia, for the same reason you are quoting here in your discussion. Well they have to do something to stop this as people should not be crossing the road listening or talking on a mobile while crossing the road as this has caused deaths here unfortnately.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Feb 07
THis is exactly what is wrong with the world. People can't do anything without someone else telling them how to do it. The same with parenting...there are so many laws out there that we are scared to really parent our children...and, look how people in their morality and actions have declined in the last 20-30 years! It's ridiculous!
2 people like this