Should walking and texting be illegal? (Poll)

No, walking and texting should not be illegal. State Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt disagrees with me. She's introduced legislation that would make texting on your cell phone while walking in a roadway, even in a crosswalk, illegal. In other words, you're walking where you should be, within a crosswalk, but because you're texting on your phone you'll get hit with the same penalty as jaywalking.

I understand where she's coming from but disagree with the proposal. Distracted walking can be a problem. Although to be honest I've seen so many what I call "zombie pedestrians" that aren't on a cell phone I'm not convinced phones are the real problem. I think since they made the crosswalk laws stricter for drivers six years ago, too many people have misinterpreted that law and think pedestrians had been given the right of way anywhere they want to cross. Diagonally across a busy thoroughfare, blindly from out between two parked cars, nowhere near a crosswalk, etc..

Back to the legislation. Lampitt's heart may be in the right place, but I can't see passing legislation that mostly protects a person from themselves. Nor do I see this as a widespread problem. To me it's legislation in search of a problem. But let us know what you think in the poll and comment section below.