New Jersey Town May Fine You For Texting While Walking

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iPhone app 'Email 'n Walk' lets you e-mail and walk at the same time

Do you hate those morons who wander through the streets whilst tapping text messages into their phones? Do you want to knock the stupid handset out of their hands every time you’re forced to swerve or step aside to avoid them? Then you might consider moving to Fort Lee, New Jersey, where police have started fining pedestrians who they catch texting while they walk.

Anyone deemed distracted enough to cause danger to themselves or others will be ticketed for jaywalking, and will have to pay $85 for the privilege. According to ABC News, Fort Lee police chief Thomas Ripoli says that the “crackdown” is intended to stop people from being killed while crossing the road, something that has happened three times already this year.

There is another way to deal with this. It’s called Darwinism, and it takes care of itself.

The comments from the public solicited by ABC News are themselves great illustrations of why walking texters should be left to meet their own ends. One claimed that “When I walk I still look around. I’m not like constantly looking down the whole time,” and another said that the tickets are “a lot of money.”

Yes, you read that correctly. A woman actually complained that a fine designed to deter a certain behavior is too expensive.

Amazing indeed, and likely yet another case of over-intrusive lawmaking, something the English call the Nanny State. Fortunately, simply texting while walking won’t alone be enough to earn you a jaywalking ticket, but walking out into a busy intersection whilst engrossed in Angry Birds probably will.

Source: ABC News

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