When I first heard this story about banning cellphones and iPods while crossing the street in New York, I thought that it made a little sense. It should be easy to walk and talk, and I think I hover on the intermediate level for this delicate skill. Take a stroll around downtown Vancouver and check out all the rookies tough. It’s mind boggling. Frogger anyone?
Then this happened today.
A 49-year-old Vancouver man is lucky to be alive after being struck by a bus in nearby Burnaby Monday night, while jaywalking and talking on his cellphone.
RCMP Cpl. Jane Baptista said the man was lucky to have suffered just minor injuries.
He was talking on his cellphone, and, after noticing a turning bus, decided to keep on walking, jaywalking, and putting the bus driver in an impossible situation, Baptista said.
It’s a familiar story for patrol officers, she said.
“They wear dark clothing, [they are] on their cellphones, [or have] iPods in their ears, and it’s completely dangerous for everyone involved.”
Baptista said police will be refocusing on Burnaby jaywalkers soon, and anyone caught can expect a fine. [cbc]
I know that while driving the long stretches of highway across Iowa, I can get so lost into listening to music or simply thinking that I’ll not have any recollection to the last ten miles that I just drove. When it’s two lane and the middle of the winter, you chalk it up to being in the zone, thankful that you didn’t hit any of those semis that regularly travel the same route, all of that while not talking on a cellphone. Pssh, makes these people look like amateurs.
When I’m on the phone, I can say that I take extra precautions to be aware as to what is going on around me while walking and talking. The same can be said for driving, but I go even further to avoid that situation. Does this make me better than the rest of you out there? Oh hell no. I don’t trust myself as much as I don’t trust other people out there to do what I do.
Still, I’m not for regulations being passed to prohibit me from enjoying some tunes while walking to work or something. I also cringe at the idea of runners being targeted because I have my headphones on as often as the weather permits. Just be smarter, people. Please don’t let your stupidity spoil it for the rest of us.
We try to not let the other pilot of a two-person crew talk on the radios and fly at the same time. Reduces the risk of distraction at critical moments. However, fighter/attack aircraft don’t have much of a choice…the pilot flys and talks/listens to the radios at the same time. Of course, they also have the occassional spectacular mistake when the pilot gets task-saturated.
I just make sure I swivel my head everytime I cross a street with iPod in my ear when I’m running the streets.