Dumb pedestrians = high mortality rate.

[XXtwindad]

Just saw this: pedestrian glued to his cell phone, crossing on a not yet turned green light. Car going through yellow. Honked at him and saved his life. The dufus jumped back just in time.

I'm an avid walker. I love walking almost (and sometimes more) than cycling. It's the most efficient form of movement/transportation. But what is it with all these people glued to their cell phones while crossing an intersection? Even when they have a green light? It's sheer stupidity. And it's epidemic.

[notsew]

According to my biologist friend, cycling is the most efficient form of locomotion besides soaring. Seemed an apropos factoid.

On the cell phones, I truly believe we are on the verge of cell phone addiction being seen as a public health crisis. It does messed up things to your brain. I have a severe love/hate relationship with mine.

[tv_vt]

Sounds like Darwin Award contender there. (Usually awarded posthumously...)

[pobrien]

Natural selection is always at work.

[ERK55]

Coming home tonight I drove past a young woman walking her dog, leash in one hand, phone in the other. Never looked up, had no clue as to her surroundings. Combine that that with a texting driver........

[jtbadge]

Or, you know, the driver could just not run the yellow.

Solid Yellow–A yellow traffic signal light means “CAUTION.” The red traffic signal light is about to appear. When you see the yellow traffic signal light, stop if you can do so safely. If you cannot stop safely, cross the intersection cautiously.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns

[Seramount]

encounter as least one phone zombie pedestrian on every ride.

they're totally oblivious to the real world, because they're INSIDE their stupid electronic device rather than evaluating their surroundings.

had a really ugly confrontation recently with a woman who abruptly crossed in front of me without looking up from her phone...

just not going to take any grief for her lack of personal responsibility.

[vqdriver]

Or, you know, the driver could just not run the yellow.



https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns

sorry, but i disagree with this.
i don't subscribe to the car-is-always-wrong approach. i'm more of a pay-attention-for-the-sake-of-everyone kinda guy.
drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc. who are too caught up in their tech to avoid a traffic related death get little sympathy from me.

cyclist stares at his powermeter and rides off a cliff, dies. his fault right?
cyclist stares at his powermeter and rides into traffic, dies. driver's fault???

[TimD]

Darwin got us pretty far, why interfere with progress?

Postscript: I would have stopped, too.

[XXtwindad]

According to my biologist friend, cycling is the most efficient form of locomotion besides soaring. Seemed an apropos factoid.

On the cell phones, I truly believe we are on the verge of cell phone addiction being seen as a public health crisis. It does messed up things to your brain. I have a severe love/hate relationship with mine.

Totally agree. There's the mental ramifications (attention deficit disorder) and the physical ramifications (chronic cervical extension, rounded and impinged shoulders).

Pedestrians who text while walking through an intersection should be fined. Drivers who text should face a very heavy fine or go to jail.

[XXtwindad]

Or, you know, the driver could just not run the yellow.



https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns

Nope.

[jtbadge]

I'm not saying the pedestrian should have walked in the road without looking, but it is the responsibility of the driver to only enter an intersection on yellow if the way is clear. The driver is in no way some sort of hero here, he should have never even put himself in this position to almost kill someone.

[Peter P.]

I'm not saying the pedestrian should have walked in the road without looking... he should have never even put himself in this position to almost kill someone.

The car driver may have been trying to "educate" the cellphone user.

If you want to understand more on why people are addicted to their phones, read Matt Richtel's book, A Deadly Wandering. Woven among the story of a texting driver killing two people is an in-depth analysis of how the brain functions and why and what happens with our interactions with our cellphones.

I say about people who are oblivious because they're focused on their device, that "their head is up their phone."

I was stopped at a red light this afternoon and glanced at the vehicle to my right. I clearly saw his phone which was conveniently mounted to his windshield. The screen displayed a string of text messages...

[jtbadge]

The car driver may have been trying to "educate" the cellphone user.

If you want to understand more on why people are addicted to their phones, read Matt Richtel's book, A Deadly Wandering. Woven among the story of a texting driver killing two people is an in-depth analysis of how the brain functions and why and what happens with our interactions with our cellphones.

I say about people who are oblivious because they're focused on their device, that "their head is up their phone."

I was stopped at a red light this afternoon and glanced at the vehicle to my right. I clearly saw his phone which was conveniently mounted to his windshield. The screen displayed a string of text messages...

"educate?" Give me a break. If the driver almost ran over someone on purpose, that's assault with a deadly weapon.

[Mr. Pink]

I just read that NY is considering a law prohibiting walking while texting.

[Heisenberg]

i rode for an hour in downtown san francisco running things to folks in various spots today. i was a messenger a decade ago. the amount of clueless assholes piloting death machines with their phones in front of their faces 10 years on was staggering. this is the real danger.

people texting while walking is the least of society’s concerns. get a ****in’ clue. this thread is like sounding an alarm about a cold rambling through the populace while there’s an ongoing ebola outlet.

[bambam]

Just saw this: pedestrian glued to his cell phone, crossing on a not yet turned green light. Car going through yellow. Honked at him and saved his life. The dufus jumped back just in time.
...

Good Job. Glad one of you three was paying attention.

Help restore some faith in humanity in this bag of mush.

[bambam]

sorry, but i disagree with this.
i don't subscribe to the car-is-always-wrong approach. i'm more of a pay-attention-for-the-sake-of-everyone kinda guy.
drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc. who are too caught up in their tech to avoid a traffic related death get little sympathy from me.

cyclist stares at his powermeter and rides off a cliff, dies. his fault right?
cyclist stares at his powermeter and rides into traffic, dies. driver's fault???

More faith in humanity.
Need more self responsibility in this world but...

until it comes along It's nice to look out for the idiots around you.

I'll help if I can but I'll also point out pay attention to the clueless.

[bambam]

...

On the cell phones, I truly believe we are on the verge of cell phone addiction being seen as a public health crisis. It does messed up things to your brain. I have a severe love/hate relationship with mine.

Lets not call it an addiction or public health crisis.

In todays society those terms seem to be used as a valid excuse for inaction.

If we just called these actions moronic and politely pointed it out maybe people would start correcting themselves as oppose to pointing the blame somewhere else.

[oldpotatoe]

Totally agree. There's the mental ramifications (attention deficit disorder) and the physical ramifications (chronic cervical extension, rounded and impinged shoulders).

Pedestrians who text while walking through an intersection should be fined. Drivers who text should face a very heavy fine or go to jail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jaJO3u-Sy4

:)

[William]

Lets not call it an addiction or public health crisis.

In todays society those terms seem to be used as a valid excuse for inaction.

If we just called these actions moronic and politely pointed it out maybe people would start correcting themselves as oppose to pointing the blame somewhere else.


Plenty of med/science out there indicating that it is an addiction.

You can find plenty of studies out there linking the effects of cell phone/computers and apps like FB/Instagram on serotonin and dopamine levels in the human brain linked to addiction.









W.

[unterhausen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jaJO3u-Sy4

:)
I feel misled,no crash. And this despite the fact that the people who constructed the bike path helpfully provided boulders to crash into.

[XXtwindad]

The car driver may have been trying to "educate" the cellphone user.

If you want to understand more on why people are addicted to their phones, read Matt Richtel's book, A Deadly Wandering. Woven among the story of a texting driver killing two people is an in-depth analysis of how the brain functions and why and what happens with our interactions with our cellphones.

I say about people who are oblivious because they're focused on their device, that "their head is up their phone."

I was stopped at a red light this afternoon and glanced at the vehicle to my right. I clearly saw his phone which was conveniently mounted to his windshield. The screen displayed a string of text messages...

I'm going to pick that book up. Thx for the recommendation.

[XXtwindad]

Plenty of med/science out there indicating that it is an addiction.

You can find plenty of studies out there linking the effects of cell phone/computers and apps like FB/Instagram on serotonin and dopamine levels in the human brain linked to addiction.




W.

It's definitely an addiction. I used to make fun of people constantly checking their Facebook accounts. Then I discovered the "GD" section of the Paceline Forum. I try to justify my incessant clicking on it due to the presence of so many talented writers on the site. Makes me feel like less of a hypocrite.

[Black Dog]

It's definitely an addiction. I used to make fun of people constantly checking their Facebook accounts. Then I discovered the "GD" section of the Paceline Forum. I try to justify my incessant clicking on it due to the presence of so many talented writers on the site. Makes me feel like less of a hypocrite.

Haha...I agree. I have burned though a lot of dopamine clicking on posts here. :banana:

[93KgBike]

More faith in humanity.
Need more self responsibility in this world but...

until it comes along It's nice to look out for the idiots around you.

I'll help if I can but I'll also point out pay attention to the clueless.

This is so true. But even perfect people make mistakes.

[sfo1]

people in this town walk out into traffic w/out cell phones and don't look. Been happening forever. Bordering on "go ahead and hit me so I can sue you" to "if I don't look, clearly there are no cars coming" to "I'm important and need to get to the pub so FU!"

Add cell phones to peds and drivers and I must agree; its natural selection.

I think I did see on the news a week or so ago that the powers that be were considering it a ticketable offense to walk & use cell phone in x-walk. That will be enforced slightly less that sit-lie.

On a slight diversion; I have a friend that is an ER doc in town. She sees a lot of pedestrians that come in after being hit by a car. Not pretty but she does note that the majority of peds fit into one ethnic category so maybe you can chalk part of this is to a cultural thing?

Bloomberg for mayor!

[parris]

This reply is on the darker side of things in large part due to my career.

What comes to mind for me when I see someone sucked into their phone or to a lesser extent being absorbed by what ever they're playing through their head phones is a potential crime victim.

There doesn't seem to be a way to get through to many on the personal safety issue. The common theme is "it'll never happen to me" or "I never saw who it was why me"?

[XXtwindad]

people in this town walk out into traffic w/out cell phones and don't look. Been happening forever. Bordering on "go ahead and hit me so I can sue you" to "if I don't look, clearly there are no cars coming" to "I'm important and need to get to the pub so FU!"

Add cell phones to peds and drivers and I must agree; its natural selection.

I think I did see on the news a week or so ago that the powers that be were considering it a ticketable offense to walk & use cell phone in x-walk. That will be enforced slightly less that sit-lie.

On a slight diversion; I have a friend that is an ER doc in town. She sees a lot of pedestrians that come in after being hit by a car. Not pretty but she does note that the majority of peds fit into one ethnic category so maybe you can chalk part of this is to a cultural thing?

Bloomberg for mayor!

I think I did see on the news a week or so ago that the powers that be were considering it a ticketable offense to walk & use cell phone in x-walk. That will be enforced slightly less that sit-lie. This is a local or federal thing?

On a slight diversion; I have a friend that is an ER doc in town. She sees a lot of pedestrians that come in after being hit by a car. Not pretty but she does note that the majority of peds fit into one ethnic category so maybe you can chalk part of this is to a cultural thing? Never heard this one before...

[FlashUNC]

Thomas Friedman would be proud of this level of back-of-the-taxicab analysis.

[Peter P.]

This reply is on the darker side of things in large part due to my career.

What comes to mind for me when I see someone sucked into their phone or to a lesser extent being absorbed by what ever they're playing through their head phones is a potential crime victim.

There doesn't seem to be a way to get through to many on the personal safety issue. The common theme is "it'll never happen to me" or "I never saw who it was why me"?

I truly believe that many people talk on their phones while walking alone because psychologically, it makes them feel they are NOT alone, and therefore less vulnerable. It's a false assumption on their part, but I'll bet that's a factor.

As for the headphones; it could be listening distances themselves from where they actually are, or by engaging in an activity such as listening while walking, they think a perpetrator won't bother them because they won't be able to easily get the victim's attention.

I'm sure there's a whole psychology behind it; it just needs to be studied.

[XXtwindad]

people in this town walk out into traffic w/out cell phones and don't look. Been happening forever. Bordering on "go ahead and hit me so I can sue you" to "if I don't look, clearly there are no cars coming" to "I'm important and need to get to the pub so FU!"

Add cell phones to peds and drivers and I must agree; its natural selection.

I think I did see on the news a week or so ago that the powers that be were considering it a ticketable offense to walk & use cell phone in x-walk. That will be enforced slightly less that sit-lie.

On a slight diversion; I have a friend that is an ER doc in town. She sees a lot of pedestrians that come in after being hit by a car. Not pretty but she does note that the majority of peds fit into one ethnic category so maybe you can chalk part of this is to a cultural thing?

Bloomberg for mayor!

Several U.S. cities have made "distracting walking" a ticketable offense. NYC is apparently contemplating it, but there's push back from advocacy groups who consider it "victim blaming."

https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/05/texting-safety-tips-distracted-walking-laws-nyc-vision-zero/589606/

Hard for me to see that. Seems pretty simple. Give people a fine for waking through an intersection glued to their phones. And levy a huge fine on people who text while driving. Or give them jail time.

Lastly: "Mayor Mike" in SF will happen right around the time the Knicks win another NBA championship...

[martl]

Coming home tonight I drove past a young woman walking her dog, leash in one hand, phone in the other. Never looked up, had no clue as to her surroundings. Combine that that with a texting driver........

Actually, as long as she doesn't cross any roads or so, this behavior is odd, but ok. As poedestrian on a sidewalk it is absolutely ok to not pay attention, to suddenly stop or change direction, etc. Not comparable to a texting driver. At all.

[Dead Man]

everything new, and especially things that are revolutionary, require adjustment. our smart phones are an extension of ourselves; we are cyborgs. that's not going to change, and should it? it's simply part of our evolution. perhaps try not to view everything that deviates from your own ideal as some form of a problem that ought not be, or should be fixed. allow your mind to rise and fall with the tides of human evolution and accept that overall the water is rising. anchoring yourself in your own beliefs will result in you drowning yourself whilst others rise on the surface.

there are no problems. just ride your bike. :-)

[unterhausen]

Actually, as long as she doesn't cross any roads or so, this behavior is odd, but ok. As poedestrian on a sidewalk it is absolutely ok to not pay attention, to suddenly stop or change direction, etc. Not comparable to a texting driver. At all.Walk down a crowded sidewalk and you might have a different opinion about this behavior. Usually about the 20th person looking at their phone I have to dodge , I just stop and wait for them to almost run into me. But yeah, it's nothing like a texting driver. There should be the death penalty for that. Some people should have an interlock on their car where the phone has to be in a box before the car will start.

I don't generally see people walking out into the street without looking because of a phone. I almost saw a guy step out in front of a bus because he was having a conversation with someone, luckily his companion grabbed him and stopped him from doing it.

[oldpotatoe]

Some people should have an interlock on their car where the phone has to be in a box before the car will start.

The technology to prevent the driver from using their cell phone has been around for a LONG time but the 'politicians' are in the pocket of the telecommunication industry(called 'bribes') and this isn't going to change anytime soon.

[Mark McM]

The technology to prevent the driver from using their cell phone has been around for a LONG time but the 'politicians' are in the pocket of the telecommunication industry(called 'bribes') and this isn't going to change anytime soon.

Can you explain what this technology is? It can't be something as simple looking at the GPS and determining that someone is going faster than some threshold speed - there would be no way to distinguish between a driver and a passenger using a phone, or even someone sitting on a train. And besides, all you'd have to do is turn off the GPS radio to defeat it.

I can't think of a foolproof way to determine if someone is actually driving when they are using their phone. Maybe you know a way?

[Mark McM]

Coming home tonight I drove past a young woman walking her dog, leash in one hand, phone in the other. Never looked up, had no clue as to her surroundings. Combine that that with a texting driver........

Maybe it was seeing eye dog? Hey, maybe this can be a new business opportunity for those training service dogs!

[PacNW2Ford]

Walk down a crowded sidewalk and you might have a different opinion about this behavior. Usually about the 20th person looking at their phone I have to dodge , I just stop and wait for them to almost run into me. But yeah, it's nothing like a texting driver. There should be the death penalty for that. Some people should have an interlock on their car where the phone has to be in a box before the car will start.

I don't generally see people walking out into the street without looking because of a phone. I almost saw a guy step out in front of a bus because he was having a conversation with someone, luckily his companion grabbed him and stopped him from doing it.

Ha, I have seen this exact thing where a guy almost walked in front of a light rail train while talking on his phone. In Portland, we have two current cases where people have walked into trains while on the phone, oblivious to the flashing lights, bells, horns etc. One is suing for millions because there wasn’t enough warning/safety equipment. Right. In another episode, I saw a woman walk in front of a code 3 fire vehicle cupping her hand to her other ear, most likely telling the person “I can’t hear you, there’s a fire engine blaring its siren and horn right next to me for some stupid reason!”