Unsafe text - could a fine for text-walking be in Baltimore’s future?
by Alisia Chapman | July 29, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Posted in Uncategorized
Today, Red Eye in Chicago reported that there is a proposal to fine text-walkers - 25 bucks if they get caught. Really? Not good news if it passes and Baltimore decides to get in on action like that for two reasons:
1) I am a habitual text-walker. It’s second nature for me and I would be fined like nobody’s business. That would suck.
2) Is on an entirely different scale. Again, we’re on the slippery slope with the government toying with dictating what we can and can’t do. They already took our trans-fats away, what more do they want?
There are reasons to stop texting and walking or texting in general (mostly social and our blogger Lori and Wall-E covered most of them), but really isn’t it my choice to text and walk - even if I break an ankle in the process?
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July 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Genius. You've got to love the legislature. You can drive and text, ride a motorcycle without a helmet, and buy the most addictive and deadly product in every corner store(cigarettes)but the government is worried about us not being able to safely cross the street.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:10 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
seriously?
eff that
July 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Be on the look out to see how long it takes for martial law to be enforced as Towson, Columbia, Canton, and Federal Hill spiral downward into anarchy... Mwaaaaaah-ha-ha-haaaaaaaa!!! I just hope that none of this effects business because those unlimited text plans are my bread and butter.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
texting prevents getting brain cancer from your cell phones. it should be encouraged and cell phone talking should be discouraged. in 20 years we're gonna be the ones paying for the tumor removals of all these people talking on their cell phones 24/7.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:04 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
what if I can text without looking at the phone... like, literally holding it down at my side and still type out a perfect sentence?
That's ridiculous... if anything it's just a new place for revenue than for public safety.
Now, if they fined retards for talking on the phone in a public RESTROOM I would be totally for that. Nothing like the dude squeezing one out while yelling on the phone. dammit, these comments need smileys! (insert eye rolling smiley here)
July 29th, 2008 at 2:49 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I'm all for using common sense. people should not be texting in situations where they should be condcentrating on something else: standing at a store register, driving, walking in traffic, breast feeding (actually, I didn't notice the phone getting in the way so she was OK.)
But I'll vote against any law that mandates common sense.
If you are not paying attention when you are doing something that could put yourself or others in harms way than you get what you get.
And then you'll probably sue someone because you're a dumbass. But I also believe that we can do 2 things at once.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Come on...textwalking fines!
Baltimore's finest has more serious things to be concerned with like crime, drivers who can't drive without talking on the phone and neighbors who leave a pile of dirt on the city street for a gardening project that has been in the works for 3 weeks now....
July 29th, 2008 at 3:28 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
only1 - we were joking earlier about having a texting competition. Ten people have to type the same sentence without looking and let's see who comes up with the most accurate text!
I'm good until I have to find the numbers. Then I'm screwed.
I can't believe there was a time, not all that long ago, that I didn't text at all. My friends would text me and I would call back and tell them "you know I don't text, what do you want?"
They never stopped texting and I gave in. Now I'm a pro!
July 29th, 2008 at 4:45 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
There was a time when i thought i could get away with a 100 text-per-month plan. I managed to get by until my friends found out about my service plan. That month, out of spite, I received upwards of 400 or so and was economically forced to upgrade my plan in order to avoid the overage fines.
I gotta find some new friends...
July 29th, 2008 at 4:18 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Uh guys we all seem to be forgetting that this idea isn't just a shameless revenue grab... it's for our safety. Won't someone PLEASE think of the childrennnnnnn!
July 29th, 2008 at 4:40 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Alisia I use to love getting calls from someone that said they didn't text. The only thing better was getting a text from someone saying I don't text. Also my guess is you were texting in that skydiving picture.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:32 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I was definitely texting in that pic! The whole t9 is what prevented me from texting at first. I feel like I can safely make it down the street phone in hand now.
Although I have cringed while watching someone text-walking narrowly missing a car. Granted he was in a crosswalk, but still.
$25 a pop would give the government a little more money to play with, as if they don't get enough each time my real estate tax assessment goes up. A guess the bay restoration fees and higher registration haven't added enough either (but those aren't technically taxes, my bad).
July 29th, 2008 at 11:55 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
There are almost certainly already laws banning negligent behavior. If you're truly doing something heinous like nearly causing a traffic accident, they can already cite you. It seems unnecessary
July 30th, 2008 at 8:48 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
sketchee- Maybe it's just to get us to start thinking about our safety? HAHA!!! yea right.
July 31st, 2008 at 1:25 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
i text so i dont have to talk in public forcing everyone around me to listen to whatever it is i may be talking about. why dont they restrict public use of those bluetooths so next time a guy is wandering the street looking like he is full out talking to himself we just know he really is crazy insted of thinking, 'are you talking to me?' and then making us look like we are the weirdos.