{"id":1423,"date":"2011-01-27T01:56:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-27T01:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/01\/should-the-government-crack-down-on-pedestrians-who-use-earbuds.html"},"modified":"2011-01-27T01:56:00","modified_gmt":"2011-01-27T01:56:00","slug":"should-the-government-crack-down-on-pedestrians-who-use-earbuds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/01\/should-the-government-crack-down-on-pedestrians-who-use-earbuds.html","title":{"rendered":"Should the Government Crack Down on Pedestrians Who Use Earbuds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the New York Times<\/i><\/a>, lawmakers in several states are trying to limit the use of earbuds by . . . not drivers . . . but pedestrians:<\/p>\n

“In New York, a bill is pending in the legislature’s transportation
\ncommittee that would ban the use of mobile phones, iPods or other
\nelectronic devices while crossing streets — runners and other exercisers
\nincluded.” <\/p>\n

Not to be outdone:<\/p>\n

“In California, State Senator Joe Simitian, who led a successful fight to
\nban motorists from sending text messages and using hand-held phones,
\nhas reintroduced a bill that failed last year to fine bicyclists $20 for
\nsimilar multitasking.” (Photo: This earbud-using jogger is taking her life into her hands. Of course she is also running in the middle of a highway.)  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"runner-with-earbuds-5.jpg\"<\/form>\n

The New York bill, introduced by State Senator Carl Kruger, “would apply only to cities with populations of one million or
\nmore. But Mr. Kruger would like to expand the bill to cover even smaller
\ncities. Violators would face a civil summons and a $100 fine. “This is not government interference,” he said. “This is more like
\nsaying, ‘You’re doing something that could be detrimental to yourself
\nand others around you.’ ” <\/p>\n

I wonder what Mr. Kruger has against people who live in smaller cities and towns. Does he think it’s okay for them to engage in behavior that is detrimental to themselves? Why should the government protect only those in larger cities? Or does he think people in larger cities have worse judgment than their small town rivals.  Hmmmm.<\/p>\n

So that do you think? Is this something the government should be doing? Or is this one more instance of Big Brother invading our personal lives? <\/p>\n

Or do our governments simply have nothing more important to do? When I last checked, New York and California were in a mess of trouble.  <\/p>\n

I am in full agreement with the basic concerns expressed by Mr. Kruger, Mr Simitian, and other leaders in other states who are introducing similar legistlation. When I walk or jog in a city, I do not use earbuds because I do not feel safe when doing so. I think people who plug up their ears while sharing space with cars are foolish, just asking for trouble.<\/p>\n

But should the government make such foolishness illegal? And if so, where is the limit of the government’s paternalistic concern? What about the health risks associate with earbud use in general? I have read that such a practice can contribute to deafness, especially if the users turn up the volume too high. And who under 25 doesn’t crank it up when listening to music through earbuds? I wonder how much money it will cost our society down the road when millions of former earbud blasters need medical help because they are hard of hearing. So perhaps we should also outlaw listening to earbuds with the volume turned up.<\/p>\n

Are the earbud laws just a more sophisticated form of helmet and seatbelt laws, laws meant to protect us from our own stupidity? Or are they an example of government intrusion into our private lives? When is it okay for the government to let its citizens act foolishly?   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the New York Times, lawmakers in several states are trying to limit the use of earbuds by . . . not drivers . . . but pedestrians: “In New York, a bill is pending in the legislature’s transportation committee that would ban the use of mobile phones, iPods or other electronic devices while…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[202],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-news"],"yoast_head":"\nShould the Government Crack Down on Pedestrians Who Use Earbuds? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}