SYRACUSE -- It's a multi-tasking world, where people walking and texting or listening to an iPod are everywhere.
Sara Freund loves listening to her iPod while she runs errands, but New York State Senator Carl Kruger wants her to turn it off - at least while she's going places. Kruger has proposed legislation about distracted walking that would ban texting, talking or using iPods while walking or running.
"While driving I understand - walking you're alert and looking places. It's not like your eyes are distracted and you're not paying attention to the road," said Freund.
Syracuse University student Wes Rene said that anyone texting while walking needs to aware of their surroundings but a law banning it would be excessive.
"It's like punishing people's ignorance. You're texting at your own risk, You're walking at your own risk - it's the same thing as not paying attention when you're walking and slipping and falling," said Rene.
Senator Kruger told the Associated Press "I don't think it's that much different than a ban on cell phones or any other distraction."
A recent YouTube video of a woman falling into a fountain at a Pennsylvania mall has people talking about cell phone distractions, but many of those same people say New York shouldn't try to legislate common sense.
"If you have your iPod on and texting, you're not really looking who's walking in your direction but I mean - you've got to be responsible," said Tyler Young as she walked near Syracuse University.
"I mean, it's dangerous if you're uncoordinated with it but if you can look up from texting, I think it's OK," said Wright Russell.
Senator Kruger has been looking for support on this proposed law since 2007, but has not been able to bring it to a vote in Albany so far.
