We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!
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Distracted-walking bill would see Toronto pedestrians fined for looking at devices
Toronto MPP Yvan Baker’s proposal calls for fines starting at $50 for a first offence, rising to $125 by a third offence
An opinion piece later raised the point that were you to cross during a red, that's already illegal (jaywalking). If you were to cross on a green, onus is on the car to not hit you. Therefore this law shifts the responsibility (or the blame?) to the pedestrians.
Silly pedestrians, if you don't want to get hit, don't walk places.
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"If even one death could be prevented by this bill, then it's a death that should be avoided."
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Sometimes I just get very engrossed while eating very good shawarma. Also I have to concern myself with keeping my hands clean. Let's make sure the roads are safe by banning eating while crossing roads.
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"Approximately 20 per cent of pedestrians [killed] may have had some form of distraction, such as using a cell phone, an MP3 player, a mobile device, pushing a shopping cart, walking a dog, or riding a skateboard," the coroner stated in the 2012 report.
Let's outlaw walking a dog !
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The bill would not cover people who have started a phone call before they began crossing the road.
It's those whack-a-doodle impulsive millennials causing all the problems.
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A comprehensive U.S. database known as the Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows that in the five most recently available years – 2010 through 2014 – personal electronic devices in the hands of people walking were found to be a factor in only 0.1 per cent of pedestrian fatalities.
Forget the 99.9% of other factors, let's fix this 0.1% !
Road safety has become an increasingly important political issue in Toronto, which in 2016 had its deadliest year for pedestrians in more than a decade. According to a Globe tally, 46 pedestrians were killed that year. The majority of these victims were 65 and older, in spite of this group representing only 14 per cent of the population, and in most cases the driver was deemed at fault.
Yeah, those old folks must be looking at their cell phone while crossing the road
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
that's already illegal
That's stopped people from suggesting new laws approximately never.
@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
Forget the 99.9% of other factors, let's fix this 0.1% !
- We must do something.
- This is something.
- Therefore, we must do this.
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@antiquarian said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
- We must do something.
Let's get drunk.
- This is something.
Yes, it is.
- Therefore, we must do this.
I agree !
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
Silly pedestrians, if you don't want to get hit, don't walk places.
I've almost been hit twice (in the 20yrs I've lived here) while walking to the train - 12 inches - almost needed new underwear. Both times, the car ran a red light.
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@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
Let's outlaw walking a dog !
GRRrrr !!! (that one's dead, maybe I should update my icon to my current dog...)
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They do realize that there are already laws against jaywalking in most areas, right?
More importantly, do they realize how often those actually get enforced, and under what circumstances?
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More accidents might actually be a good thing to solve this kind of problem. Trying to force pedestrians to keep themselves safe doesn’t make them aware of the problem nearly as much as when they themselves (almost) get hit by traffic — earlier this year I was riding my bike through town when I saw someone cross the street diagonally while looking down at a phone, at a path that I immediately saw would have her walk straight into me. Rather than, say, shout a warning from a distance, I waited until she was maybe a meter away and still oblivious to my presence, and only then I vigorously rang my bike’s bell. She jumped back quite startled, so I like to imagine that taught her more than if I had called out or something while she was still on the other side of the street.
And in case of a fatal accident, well … that could be said to be evolution in action ;)
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@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
"If even one death could be prevented by this bill, then it's a death that should be avoided."
We could prevent a lot of deaths by banning driving…
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
Silly pedestrians, if you don't want to get hit, don't walk places.
Makes sense to me.
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Giving them fines is dumb. What the law should do is allow drivers to beat the stupid out of people who walk up to a pedestrian crossing, stop there, and start staring at their phone completely oblivious to their surroundings while cars stop to let them cross the street. I've been noticing this more and more and it's so dumb. Am I supposed to keep going? Is the idiot suddenly going to start walking right into me? Should I honk at him? Roll down a window and scream? Just sit there like an idiot for 10+ seconds before His Majesty deems me worthy of a glance?
It shouldn't just apply to looking at electronic devices either - some people don't even stare at their phone, they just walk up to a crossing and start looking literally everywhere but the direction cars come from. Just saw one of those maybe 30 minutes ago. Grrrrrrr.
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
Silly pedestrians, if you don't want to get hit, don't walk places.
I'm pretty sure this is official state policy in Georgia. Most places here wouldn't be any less pedestrian-hostile if they put pungi sticks and bear traps along the sides of the roads and required properties adjacent to them to have crocodile-filled moats. There are parts of Athens and Atlanta which are exceptions to this, but only parts.
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@blek We should fit our cars with this
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@blek Something more legal
You can buy it here
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@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
The majority of these victims were 65 and older
Obviously they should ban walking while 65 or older.
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@greybeard said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
The majority of these victims were 65 and older
Obviously they should ban walking while 65 or older.
Great idea coming from someone named "greybeard." Also, I might resemble that prohibition
rather sooner than I'd likesomeday in the future, um, the far, far future. Yeah, that's it.
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@antiquarian Isn't that also the rationale behind creating a half-trained workforce of airport security personnel at taxpayer expense, in addition to the existing, equally expensive and far more effective private airport security coming out of the passengers' tickets, to prevent a repeat of something that wouldn't have been prevented by the kind of security being applied, and giving them sweeping police powers with little to no oversight?
Sounds like a good idea to me!
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@scholrlea said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@antiquarian Isn't that also the rationale behind
creating a half-trained workforce of airport security personnelnearly everything our various legislatures spew forthYes. Yes, it is.
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@scholrlea said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
far more effective security coming our of the passengers ticketsto prevent a repeat of something
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@hardwaregeek Gaah.
MathTyping while riding the bus is hard!
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@julianlam "Jaywalking". I can't get my head around the idea of it being actually illegal to cross a road.
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@hardwaregeek I am still more inclined to blame the analysis rather than the figureheads, but yes.
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@gordonjcp Well, crossing the street carelessly, at any rate. It's basically under the general heading of 'reckless endangerment', as it risks the drivers and people whom they might hit while swerving to miss the one jaywalking.
However, as I already mentioned, in practice it is mostly an excuse law. Want to arrest someone but don't have a charge? Wait for them to cross the ro ad and bam! Slap the handcuffs on 'em.
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@gordonjcp said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@julianlam "Jaywalking". I can't get my head around the idea of it being actually illegal to cross a road.
That's what I call a victimless crime
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@scholrlea said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@hardwaregeek I am still more inclined to blame the analysis rather than the figureheads, but yes.
It makes little difference whether it is the fault of the staff that analyse problems and propose solutions, the legislators who vote on them, the political compromises they have to make to get anything passed, or all of the above.
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@Gurth said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
She jumped back quite startled, so I like to imagine that taught her more than if I had called out or something while she was still on the other side of the street.
Nah, she probably just told her friends about that jerk who almost ran her down on his bike. I doubt she learned anything.
(I'd put some sort of trolling indicator, but unfortunately it's almost certainly what she did.)
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@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@gordonjcp said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@julianlam "Jaywalking". I can't get my head around the idea of it being actually illegal to cross a road.
That's what I call a victimless crime
Except when the jaywalker gets nailed by a car not expecting a person to walk into the street at that location. That's why there's cross walks. (not including residential streets - always expect a kid to run out into the street when driving there - that's why the limit is 25!)
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@djls45 said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@Gurth said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
She jumped back quite startled, so I like to imagine that taught her more than if I had called out or something while she was still on the other side of the street.
Nah, she probably just told her friends about that jerk who almost ran her down on his bike. I doubt she learned anything.
(I'd put some sort of trolling indicator, but unfortunately it's almost certainly what she did.)
I was walking home last night from the train and was almost nailed by another walker. I almost yelled "heads up!" (should have) I think they saw my feet and veered to the side just in time.
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@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@gordonjcp said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@julianlam "Jaywalking". I can't get my head around the idea of it being actually illegal to cross a road.
That's what I call a victimless crime
I was driving yesterday, coming up to an intersection where I was turning right. There was a dedicated right turn lane in addition to two through lanes and a left turn lane. There were cars stopped for the red light in the through lanes. As I was approaching (perhaps 50 feet to go) a woman walked right out from between a couple of stopped cars. Fortunately I had enough room (and was going slow enough) that she wasn't in any real danger but it was retarded on her part.
A lot of the locals like to jaywalk across busy roads and then they'll stand on the median, which is often only a couple of feet wide with shrubs planted in it. And of course they have a load of groceries or a giant sack with their laundry, so they're guaranteed to be hanging out into at least one side of traffic.
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@boomzilla When I cross the street, I make sure there is no car coming. That's the "victimless" part
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@timebandit said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@boomzilla When I cross the street, I make sure there is no car coming. That's the "victimless" part
Yeah, well, a lot things that should be victimless end up with a victim.
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@djls45 said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
Nah, she probably just told her friends about that jerk who almost ran her down on his bike. I doubt she learned anything.
(I'd put some sort of trolling indicator, but unfortunately it's almost certainly what she did.)
As I recall, she didn’t react angrily but more surprised and half-laughing, so you may be wrong. Then again, chances are good that you aren’t.
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@boomzilla said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
And of course they have a load of groceries or a giant sack with their laundry, so they're guaranteed to be hanging out into at least one side of traffic.
"It's ok, I'll just be a second"
Same logic applies to people who turn on their hazards, park on the side of the road (blocking the bike lane of course), and run in to the 7-11 to grab a coffee. That can fly in rural areas, but it's irresponsible in the city.
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@boomzilla said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
And of course they have a load of groceries or a giant sack with their laundry, so they're guaranteed to be hanging out into at least one side of traffic.
"It's ok, I'll just be a second"
Same logic applies to people who turn on their hazards, park on the side of the road (blocking the bike lane of course), and run in to the 7-11 to grab a coffee. That can fly in rural areas, but it's irresponsible in the city.
If UPS can do, it must be legal.
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@gordonjcp said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@julianlam "Jaywalking". I can't get my head around the idea of it being actually illegal to cross a road.
The US "jaywalking" laws were the result of a concerted lobbying effort by automobile manufacturers. There are a couple of articles about this, for example:
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
turn on their hazards
It took me a while to realize you mean kierunkowskazy.
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@gąska said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
kierunkowskazy
Zdrowie!
(Google Translate tells me that means Gesundheit!)
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@julianlam said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
It's those whack-a-doodle impulsive millennials causing all the problems.
Darn kids trying to step only on the white stripes.
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@dcon said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
12 inches - almost needed new underwear
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@greybeard That doesn't make it any less insane. Do people actually abide by this law? Is it enforced?
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The bespectacled professor says he didn't realise the "rather intrusive young man" shouting that he shouldn't cross there was a policeman. "I thanked him for his advice and went on."
The officer asked for identification. The professor asked for his, after which Officer Leonpacher told him he was under arrest and, the professor claims, kicked his legs from under him, pinned him to the ground and confiscated his box of peppermints.
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@dcon said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
If UPS can do, it must be legal.
If a corporation can do it, it must be legal... there's something wrong with this logic here, but I just can't figure out what...
@gurth said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
The bespectacled professor says he didn't realise the "rather intrusive young man" shouting that he shouldn't cross there was a policeman. "I thanked him for his advice and went on."
The officer asked for identification. The professor asked for his, after which Officer Leonpacher told him he was under arrest and, the professor claims, kicked his legs from under him, pinned him to the ground and confiscated his box of peppermints.That's one of the most British things I've ever read.
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@heterodox said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
That's one of the most British things I've ever read.
I hope it ended wit a cup of tea
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@heterodox said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
@dcon said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
If UPS can do, it must be legal.
If a corporation can do it, it must be legal... there's something wrong with this logic here, but I just can't figure out what...
The missing
?
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@dcon said in We couldn't figure out a way to stop people from crossing the street while texting, so let's make it illegal!:
The missing
?It couldn't get past the UPS truck.
