Forget plastic bags, New Jersey should ban these instead (Opinion)

We’ve been banning all the wrong things in NJ. The plastic bag ban has been a pain. Not being able to pump our own gas makes little to no sense. Maybe we should focus on something that would do some good for New Jerseyans.

An interesting question was posted recently on the New Jersey subreddit: Hawaii, Vermont, Alaska, and Maine have all banned billboards. Should New Jersey do the same?

Overwhelmingly the comments responding to the query were in favor of getting rid of billboards as a form of roadside advertising.

So let’s hear what you think: should we ban billboards?

Think about it, there are few redeeming qualities when it comes to billboards.

First of all, they’re distracting. We go on and on about not looking at cellphones and how our eyes should stay on the road, then at the same time we have flashy advertisements tempting us to look away from the cars in front of us.

I’m including the PSA-type billboards here too. They’re completely hypocritical.

I recently passed one on Route 295 that read something like “The text can wait. Keep your eyes on the road.”

Guess what? I wasn’t looking at my phone. It was the billboard that took my eyes off the road.

Second, they’re eyesores. While driving my commute to work I enjoy seeing the beautiful foliage the Garden State has to offer. I don’t need to have a sudden reminder that Wendy’s exists.

Last, let’s be honest… they’re a useless, total waste of money. Have you ever been swayed one way or another by a billboard?

The answer is almost certainly “no.”

At most, they’re just a reminder that something you already knew you liked exists, I doubt anyone is gaining new information or opinions from a brief image you have mere seconds to read while driving.

So what do you think? Let me know if it’s just me or if other New Jerseyans feel the same way.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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