Sydney Morning Herald - Thursday 8 February, 2007

Move to end the scourge of 'iPod oblivion'
Crossing the street in New York while talking on a mobile phone or listening to an iPod could soon be punishable by a $US100 ($A128.8) fine, under a draft bill being presented by a state senator.

Cursing what he called the scourge of "iPod oblivion", Senator Carl Kruger said two of his Brooklyn constituents had been killed in recent months after walking into the path of oncoming traffic while listening to music.

"You can't be fully aware of your surroundings if you're fiddling with a BlackBerry, dialing a phone number, playing Super Mario Brothers on a Game Boy or listening to music on an iPod," the Democratic representative said.

"Tuning in and tuning out can be a fatal combination on the streets of New York," he warned.

Kruger said transgressors would be required to appear in court to face a $US100 fine. He said he wanted to make people aware of the "potentially deadly dangers that lurk outside the deceptive serenity of your iPod".


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