It was one thing when Honolulu introduced fines for people who text while crossing a
street. Those penalties range from $15 to $99.
Now Chicago is thinking about upping the stakes. Considerably.
As CBS Chicago reports, two city aldermen, Edward Burke and Anthony Beale, are proposing an ordinance that would fine those who cross the street while texting (or talking on their phone) up to $500.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office didn't respond to a request for comment. However, the mayor told CBS: "Everybody does it and then everybody is irritated when someone else does it. So my total view is I want to look at it. I think it has something to do with people's own safety."
It has something to do with people's sanity, too.
Isn't it odd how we disappear into our gadgets and become entirely oblivious of even the world that immediately surrounds us?
It's unclear how many fatalities are directly linked to texting while walking. However, pedestrian fatalities as a whole increased by 11 percent last year, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The group cited as a potential factor "distraction due to growing use of smartphone technology" by pedestrians and drivers. https://www.cnet.com/news/texting-while-crossing-the-street-fine-500-chicago/
