I've got nothing against Carl Kreuger, really. I know he means well here. But surely there's better legislation he could be spending his time on. Having rescued the populace from dancing, trans-fats, and the Mr. Softee jingle (actually, credit for that last one), the lawmakers of New York now propose to save us from our ipods:

New Yorkers who blithely cross the street listening to an iPod or talking on a cell phone could soon face a $100 fine. [...] Kruger says he will introduce legislation on Wednesday to ban the use of gadgets such as Blackberry devices and video games while crossing the street. [...] "[W]hat'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."

I presume that some Senator will follow up with legislation forbidding us to daydream about Eliza Dushku while stepping off the curb? Might I suggest an entire menu of rather-more-effective options for policymakers seeking to reduce pedestrian fatalities? Update: As a commenter has pointed out, there are a lot of things to have against Senator Kreuger. I apologize for the moment of gentility, especially in light of my earlier post. Back to the trenches.