It's somebody else's fault

Here's one that ought to be laughed out of court.

Teenager Alexa Longueira was zoned into her cell phone, texting, as she walked down the street. It surprised the heck out of here when she fell into a manhole and suffered minor cuts and bruises.

Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise the heck out of anyone that her parents intend to sue New York City and cash in on their daughter's lack of self-preservation.

This story shows relation to a pilot program in the United Kingdom, in which tax money is being used to wrap padding around lampposts for the protection of walking texters.

I'm not a taxpayer in Britain or in New York. Neither issue affects me in any way. I'm not annoyed at the sight of the idiot-pads on the poles, nor am I distressed at having involuntarily paid for them. If a jury awards Ms. Longueira a billion dollars, not a cent of it will come from me. But if I were, I'd be asking the following questions, and asking them as loudly and as often as I could:

Why can't people walk without injuring themselves? Why must I pay for someone else failing to watch what they're doing? Why in the hell is their lack of responsibility my problem?