About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Saturday, August 04, 2012

D is for DISTRACTED DUMMIES

 A young man talking on a cellphone meanders along the edge of a lonely train platform at night. Suddenly he stumbles, loses his balance and pitches over the side, landing head first on the tracks.  Fortunately there were no trains approaching the Philadelphia-area station at that moment, because it took the man several minutes to recover enough to climb out of danger. But the incident, captured last year by a security camera and provided to The Associated Press, underscores the risks of what government officials and safety experts say is a growing problem: distracted walking.


For a long time now in order to protect ourselves, we have had to wear seatbelts when driving in a car.  But have you noticed the increase of pedestrians walking while using devices such as cell phones or ipods?  They're talking or texting or checking their emails or reading their Facebook or even adjusting the volume on their ipods.  What right do they have to put other people (and themselves) in such danger?  It seems that if a vehicle hits a pedestrian - no matter why or how - he/she is to blame.  But don't you think a driver has enough to worry about without having pedestrians crossing on a red light or stepping into traffic without due regard?  Don't be a dummy because "According to The Associated Press, reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms have more than quadrupled in the past seven years." Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Distracted+walkers+becoming+menace/7035621/story.html#ixzz22dpQD1yk  

The other day, I was trying to park my car when two distracted women started to cross in the middle of the street but suddenly stopped right on the edge of the curb.  They had not even seen me and continued to stand there talking to each other while I patiently waited to see if they were going to turn and step in front of my car.  Finally, I gave a tiny little tootle to get their attention and you know what happened?  They looked at me, started screaming to not be so impatient, and gave me the finger!  Here I was making sure they didn't step in front of my car and at the very minimum incur a broken hip and they get mad at me!

Whether driving and using a hand-held device, walking and using a hand-held device, or just simply being unaware of one's surroundings while out and about, people need to think about how their behaviour impacts others around them.  Drivers are too busy worrying about the distracted drivers and should not have to concern themselves with distracted walkers, too. Walkers who are paying attention to their surroundings should not have to veer around or be bumped into by distracted walkers.

At the very least, being a distracted walker is dastardly rude; at most, it could mean death!

30 comments:

Jo said...

And you had your parking fairy with you, who had managed to find you the perfect parking space, and those stupid women were dawdling right in front of it...!

I got on the bus yesterday, and sat near the back. There were nine other people around me, and every one of them was looking at their phones/iPods. A woman got on the bus, sat down beside me and opened her back pack. I thought, oh, here comes another iPhone. She actually pulled out a book -- a real book -- and started reading it. I was in shock.

Roger Owen Green said...

I've said for YEARS that multitasking is highly overrated, that most of us don't do it as well as we think we do.

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

You're right - people don't look where they're going any more!

Carver said...

Great post. Distracted walking can be so dangerous. Carver, ABC Wed. Team

photowannabe said...

Well said Leslie.
I see this all the time and it drives me crazy.
Being a slave to my phone or any other device isn't my cup of tea.
Frankly, nothing is that important that it can't wait for a few more minutes.

photowannabe said...

Oops, I meant to say how much I like your new picture. You look so happy.

Memoirs of Me & Mine said...

Wise words. Thanks!

http://www.memoirsofmeandmine.com/

Gerald (SK14) said...

Ah yes it is phones now - years ago it was the Sony Walkman and the like - my son aged 18 had earphones glued to his ear when he got knocked down - 6 months in a coma and ... well he ain't well now but walks and sees and talks but suffers short-term memory loss so 17 years on the effects of distraction are still being felt.

Reader Wil said...

It is true iPods and mobile phones are going to be the new danger on the streets.Everywhere people are talking and walking!
Great post, Leslie!
Wil, ABC Team.

Gemma Wiseman said...

O the distractions of metal devices! Peoples' thoughts are far away from the moment and too often we at least see near accidents. That reaction of the women to your thoughtfulness is unbelievable! But I imagine you would do the same again and risk poor reactions! Safety should be eminent! Great photo and post!

Barbara said...

Great post. I've seen someone texting whilst riding a bike before - scared me to death in case they fell in front of my car!

EG CameraGirl said...

I can understand your frustration that you were doing the kindly thing and the distracted ones were so rude to you.

Wanda said...

Oh isn't that so frustrating. Happens all the time. If you just stand on the sidewalk and don't move they will run right into you without looking up!!!!

I like your new picture too, very nice.

The Poet said...

Dear Leslie,
How true are your words!!! Focus will always be most important in all we do.

MaR said...

I agree: your words are very true!! I cannot understand such a high degree of distraction, people!

D is for...

Luna Miranda said...

you're so right! there are many distracted dummies around here, too. lots of traffic accidents are results of using a celphone while driving. just recently, a bus full of passengers almost fell from a bridge because the driver was texting while driving! multi-tasking while driving or walking on the street is a bad idea!

Carola said...

Yes, that's true. Good choice!
Better to live fully in the moment. But I must admit, I read a book while going by train;)

New York Erratic said...

Lovely post!

"I have seen the zombie apocalypse, and it is us..." :-)

Chris H
ABC Wednesday
D is for Detritus (Oceanography)

Lisa said...

You're spot on in your observation with this one! Nothing is so important that it can't wait a few minutes in order to safely drive...or walk! Sadly, electronics seem to be permanently attached to some people.

Ann said...

It really is a big concern, you do see this all the time. Another thing for us drivers to keep in mind. Very informative for us ALL.
Ann

LindyLouMac said...

I am calling by as another ABC Wednesday participant. You are spot on with this post, distracted dummies indeed. this meme is proving to be fun and has such a great variety of entries.

hamilton said...

It used to be that you had to watch for momentarily distracted drivers or walkers, but now people are not even aware that they are distracted. or that they are dummies.

Hildred said...

I can't help but think how much people miss when walking, when they are so distracted by phones and texting - this is in addition to it being so very dangerous.

ChrisJ said...

I agree with all the above! I have avoided Facebook and texting and tweeting so far. Don't people use their minds for thinking any more? I need my space and my peace...yes people too, but in small doses.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Wow, such dummies and the nerve to give you the finger. Gosh, that would just make my blood boil.. Catching up With ABC.

Daredevil Diva
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

Black Jack's Carol said...

This was definitely a timely post, Leslie! Even walking, I have had to deke to the side to avoid a person with head buried in iphone or blackberry. These words in your post really resonated: "..people need to think about how their behaviour impacts others around them." That idea has somehow been lost to many born in the "me" generation.

Martha said...

I like Roger's comment. :)

Perhaps we should all start wearing whistles around our necks just in case we ever need to get someone's attention in a hurry.

joanne said...

I was telling my husband about an hour ago, after watching the phone/text-crazed people wandering aimlessly, how much they miss - the sky, the trees, the flowers, and...the traffic! great post

Anonymous said...

research shows that we really can't multi-task, but if you try to tell people, they just argue.

dark night red light

nancygrayce said...

I have noticed that people can't go two minutes without checking something on whatever device they have with them. I like having my phone, but turn it off when I'm with someone! We were waiting one night at a restaurant and one woman had her phone (I guess) and her ipad and was going back and forth while her (I presume) husband was just sitting there. I looked at Russell and said don't you know he feels like the center of her world? :)