Texting While Walking Banned in New Jersey Town

[No More Sorrow]

Avid texters beware: Fort Lee, N.J. police said they will begin issuing $85 jaywalking tickets to pedestrians who are caught texting while walking.
"It's a big distraction. Pedestrians aren't watching where they are going and they are not aware," said Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department.

Ripoli said the borough, which is home to approximately 35,000 residents, has suffered three fatal pedestrian-involved accidents this year. He hopes his crackdown on people who display dangerous behavior while walking will make his town safer, but not everyone is on board with the idea of issuing $85 tickets.

"When I walk I still look around. I'm not like constantly looking down the whole time," said resident Sue Choe.

Another woman complained about the tickets were "a lot of money."
Officers handed out pamphlets during a short grace period in March before they began aggressively going after "dangerous walkers."
More than 117 tickets have been issued, according to the New Jersey Record.

Two professors at Stony Brook University in New York conducted a study on walking and texting. They found texters are 60 percent more likely to veer off line than non-texters.

"We want to raise awareness that a real disruption occurs because of texting," Eric Lamberg, co-author of the study, told Long Island Business News. "Texting disrupts your ability much more than does talking."

Texting While Walking Banned in New Jersey Town | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo! News

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Haha! Wow. I find this rather amusing, I walk and text quite a bit. But I always know where I'm going. That one text message isn't more important than seeing that bus that's about to flatten you like a pancake.

 

[Heisenberg]

This has to be one of the stupidest things I've heard, yes it might prevent some things but what if people need to talk to someone. Just silly.

 

[Slim]

To me its dumb... heh makes me glad I'm not there. But really... I mean if you dumb enough to walk all over the sidewalk and street while texting then... its your fault. Whereas me... I can keep a straight line while doin it.

 

[Ryan]

You have to at least give Jersey credit for finding the dumbest ways to rip off it's residents.

 

[Slim]

yeahhhh thats true... hooray Jersey... you suck

 

[Jay]

You have to at least give Jersey credit for finding the dumbest ways to rip off it's residents.

Actually, its probably the smartest way. Just think about it. EVERYONE walks and texts, they are easily going to be clearing some good cash off this deal.

 

[Troy]

I agree with Slim. If you are dumb enough to get hit by a car when you are texting then you deserve to get hit. I walk and text and amazingly I manage to remain on the footpath. Definite cash grab by this town.

 

[Ryan]

Actually, its probably the smartest way. Just think about it. EVERYONE walks and texts, they are easily going to be clearing some good cash off this deal.

It's brilliant in that they'll make a lot of money but dumb in that everyone texts and walks and it's a stupid reason for them to give tickets. I've not heard of a single person getting killed over texting and walking.

 

[Deezy]

Safety cautions are soley based on the merits of the stupid, and you can't underestimate stupid.

 

[Crippler]

New Jersey is a joke anyway