We have all heard about the tragic (very sad) deaths caused by people who text while driving, but how about deaths from texting while walking? Like driving, walking while texting can be very dangerous. Has technology become so advanced and texting so addictive that these tragedies are now an accepted part of our culture? Some of the worst cases of walking while texting have led to death, injury, and humiliation (embarrassment).
The most tragic cases of walking while texting include the death of a 14-year-old boy from Florida in 2008. He was so focused on his phone that he stepped into oncoming traffic. Who's at fault? The distracted texting teen or the driver who hit him? These accidents warrant another look at the laws about texting.
This next video is not tragic, but funny. Cathy Cruz Marrero was texting while walking in a mall and fell into a water fountain.
But her humiliation (embarrassment) didn't end there. A mall security camera caught the accident and it soon appeared on YouTube. The video now has more than three million views. The company that provides security for the mall issued this statement: “The security officer responsible for sharing the video of this incident has been terminated and is no longer with the company.”
But is it fair that he lost his job for sharing a stupid mistake that occurred in public?
Texting while walking can make you look stupid. A teen who was walking while texting stepped into an open manhole. City workers came to her rescue and apologized for the unmarked danger, but the 15-year-old's mother said she would sue (make the workers pay money for doing something wrong). It may sound crazy, but she may have a point. Under any circumstances, the manhole should have been marked to prevent accidents. But on the other hand, the teen who was texting while walking should have been alert enough to see the hazard and avoid it.
But is it fair that he lost his job for sharing a stupid mistake that occurred in public?
Texting while walking can make you look stupid. A teen who was walking while texting stepped into an open manhole. City workers came to her rescue and apologized for the unmarked danger, but the 15-year-old's mother said she would sue (make the workers pay money for doing something wrong). It may sound crazy, but she may have a point. Under any circumstances, the manhole should have been marked to prevent accidents. But on the other hand, the teen who was texting while walking should have been alert enough to see the hazard and avoid it.
So, in order to save yourself from death, injury, or simple humiliation, don't text while walking. It may sound crazy, but walking while texting can be life threatening just like texting while driving. As addictive as technology can be, it can wait. My advice is to stay alert and keep your eyes on the sidewalk.
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