State Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) wants to slap pedestrians with 100 U.S. dollar fines for using electronic gadgets, not just iPod, when crossing the street. Kruger's bill also would ban using cell phones, Blackberries, video games or other electronic devices.

    "This is not an intrusion into someone's lifestyle," said Kruger, who cites two men killed in his borough while listening to tunes through earphones - one by a bus and one by a car - as reason for the law. "This is government recognizing that there's a safety issue."

    "If you're so involved in your electronic device that you can't see or hear a car coming, this is indicative of a larger problem that requires some sort of enforcement beyond the application of common sense," state Senator Carl Kruger said.

    But the measure seemed a little too Big Brother for many in Manhattan, where pedestrians gabbing on cell phones are as common as overpriced apartments.

    "I'm a grown adult. I can take care of myself," raged pedestrian Peter Kraft, 30, of Brooklyn. "What are we, 3 years old? The government should not be my nanny."

    (Agencies)