At one time walking and chewing gum was the tongue in cheek measure of coordination. The 21st century has raised the bar, perhaps far too high.
While it's good for business, reports from across the country prompted an alert from the American College of Emergency Physicians. People distracted while walking and texting have presented with varied injuries and even died from the habit of looking down at the tiny screen. A limited survey reported two deaths in California alone. A San Francisco woman was killed by a pickup truck
earlier this year when she stepped off a curb while texting, and a Bakersfield man was killed last year by a car while crossing the street and texting.
While doctors tsk away at patients who collide while texting and walking, causing them to run into other pedestrians, fall off of curbs, walk into signs, and even text while bicycling, roller blading, or worst of all...driving, they are not immune. One doctor questioned admitted once believing he was saving time by driving and texting. "We think we're multitasking, but we're not," he said admitting it was stupid. "You're focusing on one task for a split second, then focusing on another one, and with
something moving 40 miles an hour like a car, it just takes a couple of seconds to be hit. He also observed that common sense is far from common. Can I get an amen? Give homo sapiens a toy and they will use it at the peril of all.
ER Docs warn of danger in texting while walking, driving?
Frontpage - Top level