Cell phones and smartphones in particular, are an amazing tool. They let us keep in touch with our friends and family, provide us with incredibly convenient maps and directions when we are lost, and are the ultimate tool in settling bar bets. They are our life support, our life line to everything.
For some of us, our lives exist on our phones. We can’t even go five minutes without checking it for new messages, tweets, or Instagram likes. For others, maybe the games on their phone are more interesting than the daily happenings of the world around them. However, just like how talking on a cell phone while driving is incredibly dangerous, walking and texting is causing all kinds of problems, especially in pedestrian-heavy cities like the ones in Japan.
There have been numerous issues recently about people who endanger those around them when they constantly look at their phone while walking. A junior high school boy in Aichi Prefecture found out just how dangerous staring at your phone can be, to himself, and to the hundreds of people he put in danger.
On Oct 30, at Gokiso station in Nagoya, the student was staring at his smartphone while walking on the platform. He walked too close to the edge and fell onto the tracks as a train was pulling into the station. The train conductor thankfully noticed the student fall and hit the emergency brake. The train was able to stop 30 meters from where the boy had fallen.
Perhaps the boy had been looking up “what to do if you fall onto the train tracks” because he was also able to make it to the safety opening at track level.
So many horrifying things could have happened in this situation, and it all stemmed from not paying the proper attention to your surroundings when you are walking. Ad campaigns to raise awareness to this danger are starting to pick up steam, and surely this incident will cause more and more people to pay attention.
Source: Itai News via Mainichi Shimbun
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Your smartphone could kill you: Phone-related deaths on the rise in Japan -- Elementary school girls rescue wheelchair-bound woman stranded on train tracks -- Man learns lesson the hard way, wakes up on train tracks with severed leg
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10 Comments
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Stewart Gale
Stupid kid.
TrevorPeace1
"They are our life support, our life line to everything." What tripe!
Amidalism
I'm guilty of using my smartphone while walking - but only on long empty stretches of sidewalk. The second I get into a crowded area or close to crosswalks, etc. I put it away. Haven't gotten into any accidents. Not that hard to do.
Does a Jr. High student even really need a smartphone? I hope his parents take it away from him to give him an additional wake up call.
StormR
Morons the lot of them, walking around staring into a phone.
Phone screen should only be used when stationary.
They pay no attention to their surroundings and are completely absorbed by the little screen, it a wonder there arn't more incidents.
Disillusioned
I saw a 30's woman walk off the platform a few months ago while she was playing some stupid join the dots game on her phone. She was very lucky she was at the far end of the platform and the train was nearly stopped. She didn't make the papers though. I make a point of walking into these 'phone walkers' just for my own amusement. But, it's not just phones! I see many people walking and playing PSPs, DS or watching TV on their old flip phones. They should make it illegal and the penalty should be taking the device off them for a week or so. If they want to act like children they should be treated like children.
Christopher Glen
I'd say that goes for many regular pedestrians and cyclists as well. They all seem to think that people are not going to be discourteous enough to bump them - when they themselves aren't looking out
John Galt
Stupid is as Stupid does.
diane fears
You folks and these cell phones and tablets are more in touch with them instead watching what you ate doing. one texting while driving as well as walking across the street. here in America we than had a train to jump the track and people died while the driver was texting a friend's daughter driving her dad's car texting while driving you folks do that are not only putting your own life at risk but others as well.
WilliB
I am not surprised about this. I see so many smartphone zombies in Tokyo every day, it is scary.
sensei258
I see so many students walking down stairs at school while gazing at their smartphones. When I beg them to be careful, they look up, smile, and go back to their phones. It seems just a matter of time.