Cecilia Abadie, the alleged, Google-eyed perp.
The Web erupts with rolling eyes and righteous indignation because of a traffic ticket received by San Francisco resident Cecilia Abadie. Mrs. Abadie wasn't cited for running a yellow light, expired license-plate tags, or ”driving as fast as everyone else,” -- instead she was, in part, ticketed for wearing Google Glass whilst driving.
This, of course, has driven the blogosphere into a shark-with-frikkin-laser-beams frenzy, as only subjects like Google Glass (NASDAQ:GOOG) can.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers and pundits debate the “Google Glass ticket” into tiny fragments.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment, ably assisted by the... uhh... aptly named Stephen Glasskeys.
Sharon Gaudin pitches us this curve ball:
A woman said...that she was ticketed by police in southern California for wearing Google Glass while driving....
Abadie noted...that she was initially pulled over for, and was ticketed, for speeding. MORE
Russell Brandon mouths off on California law:
In Abidie's case, the relevant law may have been a state ordinance against viewing monitors installed in a driver's field of vision, although...it's still unclear whether the law applies to Google Glass. MORE
Mrs. Abadie -- for it is she -- gives us the bad news:
A cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving! The exact line says: Driving with Monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass)....
Any legal advice is appreciated!! MORE
As if by magic, Matt McGee appears -- he is a whiz at spotting exceptions:
But...you can drive with equipment that includes “a mapping display” and/or “a global positioning display” — both of which describe Glass....
[And] it’s okay if the equipment “has an interlock device that, when the motor vehicle is driven, disables the equipment for all uses except as a visual display” in the cases such as mapping and GPS. MORE
However, Iain Thomson gives us the FAQs, ma’am:
California cops are notoriously strict about driver distractions, and woe betide anyone caught using a mobile phone without a Bluetooth headset....
The Glass screen is off by default for users and the monitor display doesn't cover the eye at all – the hardware was designed to allow full eye contact during a conversation. The device's public FAQ does make it clear that car drivers and bicycle riders should be careful that they aren't breaking the law. MORE
So Brett Molina pulls no Ponches, sharing the official statement:
CHP spokesman Jake Sanchez [said] officers aren't specifically looking out for Google Glass, but anything that could distract drivers. MORE
But Jenny Xie is more nuanced:
How can authorities prove Glass was operating and that the driver wasn’t using the GPS function? ... Is driving while wearing Glass commensurable with driving while speaking on the phone hands-free?...
Current U.S. laws regarding distracted driving are already complicated and varied. ... It’ll be difficult to determine whether wearing Google Glass is more or less distracting than calling or texting. ... If Abadie fights her ticket in court...the case could set an important precedent. MORE
A ticked-off Mike Elgan waxes apoplectic:
It's 100% legal to drive a car while wearing Google Glass, and should be. ... Cecilia Abadie should fight the case! MORE
Meanwhile, Sam Biddle tells us what he really thinks:
Sorry, Ms. Cyborg, but this is for the good of our species. MORE
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