The nanny state knows best.
LAS VEGAS — Harvey Munford has heard a lot of talk about the dangers of texting while driving. Now the Nevada assemblyman wants to focus on what he considers an equally perilous scourge: texting while walking, especially across a busy street.
Munford (D-Las Vegas) on Thursday introduced Assembly Bill 123, saying the new law could be applied not to just urban streets but to all state roads, even in residential neighborhoods.
The penalty for offenders: a pricey ticket, including $250 for a third offense. First-timers would get a warning.
Nevada is following the town of Fort Lee, N.J., which last year issued a ban against texting while crossing the street.
Munford told the Los Angeles Times that he began watching for the practice while behind the wheel last year after a complaint by a constituent.
“I was just amazed by what I saw,” he said. “So many people are almost oblivious. They are texting and texting, totally unaware as they cross even six-lane highways.”