Districted walking

What? You mean it’s not something made up by bureaucrats?

“The UTA (Utah Transition Authority) … adopted an ordinance in March prohibiting ‘distracted walking’ in areas near railway tracks, crossings and stations.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/54426280-82/uta-distracted-laws-ordinance.html.csp

(Distracted walking is caused by using a cell phone, texting, listening to music through earphones or other device while walking. Used to we said somebody like that “had his head up …” You get the idea. These days, though, nothing is anybody’s fault, unless you own guns, so if a person does something stupid, there must have been an overreaching cause, other than stupid.)

One thing about the walking law:

“So far, UTA has issued only one citation under the new ordinance … The violator got a $50 citation and a stern warning.”

A stern warning? Oh, golly! Does that go on his/her permanent record?

“Distracted walking” showed up today (Monday) in Yahoo’s “Trending Now” space. After a “Do what?” moment, I clicked.

The first three stories were the same, an AP piece about a man in Philadelphia who fell on his head while walking and talking. That story says: “State and local officials are struggling to figure out how to respond, and in some cases asking how far government should go in trying to protect people from themselves.”

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120730/BUSINESS06/120730002/Distracted-walking-What-do-about-protecting-pedestrians-from-injury?odyssey=mod_sectionstories

“(H)ow far government should go …” Look for hearings at the federal level. Look for studies funded by federal taxes. Look for grants to cities and counties to pay for educating the public on dangers of walking and talking and listening to music. Look for a federal law making such activity illegal on federal property.

Look for those, but do not look for this: “You can’t legislate [not being] stupid.” – Utah State Rep. Craig Frank.