Best to declare a position first. In driving I am a scared klutz. I go on courses to improve my driving and the instructors shake their heads sadly. I will never make an F1 Driver.

But they give me solid advice. Never use a mobile phone when driving, do no listen to the radio and twiddle with the knobs, do not listen to an iPod while I drive. If I do any of those things I will die.

There is enough research to show that men — women seem to be better at this which is dashed unfair — cannot multitask with any speed.

You are listening to your iPod and you do not hear then ambulance siren behind you and then you swerve right up the exhaust of the Porsche Boxer in front. Lord knows it is big enough.

Now New York State want to fine any pedestriant crossing a road wearing an iPod — looks so naff, dearie — or answering the mobile telephone.

(Do you realise we have further disenfranchised the mad people. When you saw someone coming towards you talking to themselves and gesticulating madly you gave them a wide berth for you knew they were demented or an Australian journalist — the two terms are interchangeable. Now you know it is someone on a mobile phone.)

So if it becomes a fine of $100 for using an iPod or mobile phone and crossing the road simulateneously what should it be for drivers with both impedimenta? Shooting? Lengthy prison terms? Both?

In truth it is not a joke for New York State Senator Carl Kruger said three pedestrians in his Brooklyn district have been killed since September when stepping into traffic while distracted by an electronic device. Senator Kruger said he will introduce legislation to ban the use of gadgets such as iPods, mobile phones, Blackberry devices and video games while crossing the street.

Using a cell phone (without a handsfree solution) while driving has been banned in some US cities, all of Britain and, soon, all of Australia.

Senator Carl Kruger said, ‘If you want to listen to your iPod, sit down and listen to it. You want to walk in the park? Enjoy it. You want to jog around a jogging path? All the more power to you. But you should not be crossing streets and endangering yourself and the lives of others.’

Or, indeed, when sitting next to me on a train with the volume turned right up thus risking having an iPod stuffed up your rectum.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 at 6:46 pm under Apple, Cell phones, Legal, Security.

Read more entries by Gareth Powell.
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