Stories about aldermen wanting to ban things

One wants to ban aluminum bats!

Metal bats would be banned from all youth baseball leagues in Chicago under an ordinance that Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) is set to introduce at today’s City Council meeting.

Advocates of the ban argue that metal bats are more dangerous than wood bats.

"The statistics show that a ball that comes off of a wooden bat goes at about 93 miles an hour, probably at most, but a metal bat anywhere from 100 to 125 miles an hour," Fioretti said. "Our pastime is built upon the wooden bat. It’s not upon the metal bat."

The ban would apply to all baseball games involving children under 18 years old and over 8.

Similar legislation introduced in the Illinois General Assembly last year by state Rep. Robert Molaro (D-Chicago)) has not been approved. The state proposal would make it illegal for any coach, parent or teacher to allow aluminum bats in baseball or softball games involving players under 13 years old. Violators would face fines of between $250 and $500.

It was noted that a ban was passed in NYC. It was vetoes by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but was overridden and the ban was upheld in federal court.

Honestly I have mixed feelings about this one. I used to thing that aluminum bats was used on the amateur level from college down to little league due to costs. I'm sure someone in the sports industry can enlighten me. In any case this could boil down to costs because wood bats break and shatter and fly off. Not much different than a aluminum bat that could fly off and hit a bystander.

Another alderman wants to ban DWT - driving while texting:

Motorists who take their hands off the wheel — and their eyes off the road — to surf the Internet or send a text message would pay through the nose, under a crackdown proposed Wednesday by the City Council’s most powerful aldermen.

Three years after striking out in his attempt to add all forms of distracted driving to Chicago’s ban on the use of cell phones without a hands-free device, Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th) is trying again.

“At that time, there was such controversy over the mere fact of banning cell phone use while driving that we agreed to defer any other categories,” Burke told reporters after Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
“But, other jurisdictions — like New Jersey, like Minnesota, like Alaska — have recognized the hazard that [texting] poses to traffic and traffic safety. It’s time for us to reviist the issue. . . . It’s as much a part of educating the public as anything else. Maybe people [who] are driving and texting don’t realize the kind of hazard that’s created.”
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Violators would face a $75 fine for each offense unless the violation resulted in an accident. If a crash occurs, the fine would be $200.

If the latest crackdown flies, Burke said he may tack other forms of distracted driving. And he might even propose ticketing pedestrians, an increasing number of whom are landing in emergency rooms for injuries suffered sending text messages while crossing the street.

In some of these instances all it takes is for one bad incident and it ruins it for everybody. That's not to say that I think drivers should be allowed to be texting while driving, because common sense should dictate that's not a good idea. And perhaps we should teach young athletes that aluminum bats are ones that should be respected. Especially if they can hurt someone.