Much as we detest the sound of chitchat on the street — when we’re not wearing our own sound-blocking Nano, that is — we squarely support the right to bear cell phones. We think that laws intended to “protect” pedestrians from vehicular injury by prohibiting the distraction of music and conversation has it exactly wrong.

But some outdoor exercisers who rely on music for a boost see the proposals as little more than a distraction for law enforcement officials. “Chasing down the runner who has his headphones in instead of chasing down the driver who’s been at the local pub sounds like they’re trying to pick the low-hanging fruit,” said John Wiant, 43, a runner from Newport Beach, Calif.

In Arkansas, an avalanche of criticism on Tuesday led a legislator to withdraw a proposal that would have banned pedestrians from wearing headphones in both ears. Other lawmakers have tried to strike some sort of balance between public safety and the gravity of the offense.

It just occurred to us that, taking the example of Venice, Manhattan’s car-rental business could be consolidated at the Port Authority depots, capturing all inbound private cars. That would clear the island for professional drivers, much like airline pilots. Pedestrians would have nothing to worry about

Drop me a line at rjk@dailyblague.com
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 at 10:30 am.