Walking Injuries Quadruple Thanks to Texting Distractions

[tuanmai]

Better watch where you're going!

Walking Injuries Quadruple Thanks to Texting Distractions : Read more

 

[Engima]

Good. I don't feel bad at all when people fail to pay attention to their surroundings.

 

[sheepsnowadays]

That's sad that you need to make laws cause people are that dumb.

 

[dfusco]

Darwin.

 

[idroid]

Let the natural selection begin

 

[therabiddeer]

A proud display of the most intelligent species on the planet...

 

[halcyon]

This is actually good news. [citation][nom]idroid[/nom]Let the natural selection begin[/citation] Couldn't agree more, if one feels that texting is more important than their own safety and they'd like to help rid us of folks with that confused outlook...then by all means...text away.

 

[dextermat]

Wow when smart phone make you an idiot

 

[teh_chem]

Couldn't believe my ears when I heard a news story about some town that was issuing citations for people who were "using" their cell phone while crossing the street--even if entirely legally, in a crosswalk and waiting for crossing signals.

Generally I would agree with the "natural selection" sentiment, until you're presented with an extreme albeit realistic situation where a distracted pedestrian mindlessly walks into moving traffic where a non-distracted driver swerves out of the way into some other traffic or perhaps another pedestrian, or causes some other horrific accident whilst the distracted pedestrian is ultimately fine and dandy.

I disagree with the legislation we've heard about so-far, but I would also err on the side of proactive measures rather than reactive measures, and I'd be pretty pissed if a loved one were the collateral damage in the above hypothetical situation. On the other hand, I wholeheartedly DISagree with issuing tickets just because someone is walking around looking at your phone. We're a technologically and socially-integrated society. You can't issue laws directly contradicting the general and accepted way of life and expect anything good to come of it.

 

[dalethepcman]

Don't make it illegal to use just "thin the herd." Everyone that has ever been to wal-mart knows we need a little more chlorine in the gene pool...

I'm all for passing legislation that if you get hit by a car while using your cell phone (as a pedestrian or driver) you are automatically at fault, and charged with attempted suicide/manslaughter and reckless endangerment.

Until the day auto manufacturers build faraday cages / cell jammers into automobiles, or parents start actually parenting again, children will keep doing it. The least we can do is make the poor driver who already has his life ruined for running over someones kid, not also go bankrupt and to jail for 15 years because your kid was too stupid to look before crossing the road.

 

[CaedenV]

If a smart phone was really smart it would tell you there is a bear in front of you

 

[azathoth]

I'm tired of seeing about 1 in 5 people on the street completely oblivious to the world around them, fixated on their phones.

 

[nocteratus]

I don't know how many persons I've crossed that were texting and either walking erratically, riding a bike or driving.

The worst part it's them yelling at you because they couldn't pay attention of what's happening around them.

 

[scottiemedic]

I just have to say as a paramedic, that if you called me after injuring yourself while texting, well, you might just get the dumb ass of the year award!!

Seriously, how hard is it to text and walk??? People like this are A, what keep me in a job and B, need to be weeded out by natural selection for their stupidity!!

 

[Camikazi]

[citation][nom]caedenv[/nom]If a smart phone was really smart it would tell you there is a bear in front of you[/citation]
The phone is too busy laughing at you to warn you about the bear.

 

[A Bad Day]

Years ago, one of my sister's friends wreaked his bicycle from colliding with a tree while texting.

 

[nebun]

what an idiot...really people, can't you take your eyes off your phones and enjoy life for five minutes?...this lady was checking her phone at every light, i wanted to roll my window down and tell her to get a life

 

[alhanelem]

how hard is it to stand still while texting?

 

[anti-painkilla]

People never pay attention to their surrounding, like in a supermarket, if someone is blocking the way, they will actually stay there until they move or until you say something.

I suppose I am different as I have always been taught to be courteous and having headphones in my ears 24/7 growing up, I have learnt to look around every once in a while to make sure I am not in someone or somethings way.

Also I don't feel the need to instantly reply to all txt messages, because if it was that important, it would be a call.

 

[beayn]

I solved this by getting rid of my phone. I was having all sorts of billing issues anyway, since the company was trying to scam more money on each and every bill with late charges and overage charges despite them sending the bill AFTER it was due, and the package I was sold wasn't the one I got. Once the contract was up, I was done. Haven't missed it one bit.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

I wonder how much they spent on this obvious study...

 

[oj88]

Have seen nearby drivers using their cellphones all the time, walking injuries are the least of my concerns.

In 2010, 3092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver - http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html

 

[alidan]

so long as you are only a danger to yourself, i dont care what you do

 

[bjbesaw]

Totally agree with idroid. This is just another category for the Darwin awards. Instead of trying to prevent this activity, we should probably help the natural selection process by installing more deep trenches near walkways, pedestrian water hazards in busy urban areas, and apparently, let the bears loose.

 

[anti-painkilla]

[citation][nom]bjbesaw[/nom]Totally agree with idroid. This is just another category for the Darwin awards. Instead of trying to prevent this activity, we should probably help the natural selection process by installing more deep trenches near walkways, pedestrian water hazards in busy urban areas, and apparently, let the bears loose.[/citation]

Starving bears? Because the last one failed. Or something more vicious? Snake pits and clearly labelled landmines?