Walkman Banned in Woodbridge? Yes, Law Is Still on the Books

Woodbridge, NJ - Did you know? In 1982, Woodbridge Township, New Jersey banned the Walkman from being worn in public. And that law is still on the books today.

Yup, the Walkman, a new-fangled invention at the time, was considered dangerous: "It seems there were increased pedestrian accidents, as (people) were distracted by the Walkman and not paying attention to traffic," Township spokesman John Hagerty told Patch. "The ordinance (3-10) is still on the books."

Woodbridge's ordinance was challenged by one man: Oscar Gross. On Oct 7, 1982, Oscar Gross went to the corner of Main and Amboy avenues, approached a traffic cop and put Walkman earphones over the officer's head. The entire story is told in this new podcast, Pessimists Archive, which you can listen to below.

It was not the first time Gross, a Perth Amboy resident and aspiring lawyer, had tempted the police. All throughout the summer of 1982, he would put on his Walkman and saunter past Woodbridge police officers. He was baiting them to arrest him, so he could challenge the constitutionality of the law in court. But it wasn't until he actually placed earphones on an officer's head that he was issued a summons.

Woodbridge's Municipal Clerk John Mitch said he remembers the events of that day. Then-Council President Richard Kuzniak (who is now deceased) pushed hard for the ban, and the ordinance was enacted as a pedestrian safety measure, Mitch recalled. At least 9 states that year had banned Walkmans while driving, but Woodbridge went the farthest in the nation: If you were caught crossing the street on foot or riding a bike with headphones on, you were subject to a $50 fine and possibly 15 days in jail.

Not surprisingly, national media descended on Woodbridge when the law was passed.

"I have not had one negative response from people in our community," Kuzniak told a newspaper at the time. "We've had at least 100 requests for copies of our ordinance. Insurance companies and audio equipment people are among those asking for it."

Still others say the ordinance was passed at a time when the Township was fighting growing development, congestion and suburban sprawl.

"In the late '70s we had a lot of development in the Township. And then going into the '80s there were a lot of condo developments, adding a lot of congestion," said Ken Gardner, who served as Woodbridge's Council president from 1982 to 1985. "I certainly remember that the condo developments were a major issue."

Oscar, a World War II Army vet, was issued a summons on Oct. 7. He was later found guilty in Woodbridge Municipal Court and made to pay a $50 fine. The real irony? Oscar wasn't even listening to music at the time of his arrest. His Walkman was on silent. He appealed the summons several times, but lost each time.

And actually, Oscar did give up his fight against Woodbridge's Walkman law. Before a court date for one of his appeals, a 15-year-old boy in Sayreville was killed when he walked into traffic while wearing his Walkman. Oscar dropped his appeal, and ended up praising the ban.

Looks like Richard Kuzniak may have been on to something, after all. For more podcasts like this, visit Pessimists Archive to find the iTunes link, mailing list, etc.

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