(Padded) Cell Phones

This story is hardly worth padding out, but I will anyway because, surely, this way madness lies.

Regular readers will know that I'm no great fan of cell phones, believing them to be essentially trivial and anti-social. I really don't want to be distracted by someone else's side of a conversation, nor do I want my discourse to be interrupted by my rapt listener having to switch off a detestable Kenny G ringtone.

Back in Blighty things are really bad on this front because loads of folk have been injured whilst texting. It's not repetitive thumb syndrome they suffer from but something far worse - concussion. I have long suggested that the public display of the latest Nokia is the manifestation of a brain illness, but concussion?

Yep. These brain injuries are caused by blows to the head. A study conducted by 118 118, a phone directory service, has found that one in 10 people has been hurt while focusing on their cell phone instead of where they were walking.

Almost two thirds of respondents lost peripheral vision while texting, and more than a quarter wanted lines on the pavement to create routes for texters to walk while using their phones.

Lines on the pavement so they can text and walk? They must be kidding, right?

Nope, they aren't and luckily for them 118 118 is around to help them: 118 118 is going to wrap padding around lampposts in return for the newly devised advertising space.

This illustration shows a lovely piece of street furniture, a 70 year old lamppost defaced with a sponge wrapping. Wouldn't a bench make better sense, somewhere to text in comfort, or to have a face-to-face conversation?

Of course, here in Jakarta any accidents caused through texting and walking are not a matter of above ground obstructions.


 

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