A manner poster on the wall of a Tokyo subway station cautions commuters about looking at their smartphones while walking.
© Japan Today
Losing control
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A manner poster on the wall of a Tokyo subway station cautions commuters about looking at their smartphones while walking.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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factchecker
Nothing ever changes no matter how many of these childish posters they come out with.
AgeOfAsparagas
The phone zombies in Japan are mostly high school and university students. Neither are depicted in that poster.
AgeOfAsparagas
Well, at least the offenders on the posters don't have blond hair anymore.
Mat
Simply not true.
I can only speak to Tokyo, but pretty much anyone under 60 can be seen walking around like they're the only person in the world, expecting others to get out of their way.
The poster isn't harsh enough in my opinion, it needs to be bolder, and insult the honor of people who disregard other people in this way. This mild poster won't even be seen by the zombies anyway.
BackpackingNepal
The only way is to ban using mobile phones in the train station esp. From swapping the ticket machine until swapping out on the exit machine but allowed after the exit or shops inside.
If caught, fine right away. Yen 10,000.
owzer
Anyone who has been in Japan for more than three days knows that many Japanese people can't avoid crashing into you despite their eyes open, on the path, and nothing distracting them. If they weren't so polite, I'd think it was intentional.
owzer
Let's enforce the ban on cigarette smoking first.
SDCA
I see many on their phones while riding their bicycles, it's crazy watching them wobbling onto the streets.
1738Kwaaa!!
Even without looking at smartphones diagonal walkers and those who walk looking down as if the world belongs to them are a menace in Tokyo.
Redemption
I am completely amazed in a bad way at the number of people walking around train platforms and stations while watching a smartphone screen. It is highly antisocial and dangerous.
MilesTeg
It's gotten to the point that where if you voice displeasure or the hazards of it, people think you're the one who's rude or weird. Then there are those that stand by the doors of the train extending their smartphone arm so that you can only use one side of the door and have to go around them. It'll take a big incident involving serious injury or death to start fining people.
Noriyon73
Just keep walking in a straight line. Stop and hold your ground. When almost face to face, yell very loudly and step aside. Safety is the major concern.
AgeOfAsparagas
@Mat
Simply is true. MOST of the phone zombies are young. MOSTLY university students. You've mistaken my "most" with an "all." I amin Tokyo, too. 20+ years.
AgeOfAsparagas
I almost never see any salarymen walking while looking at a smartphone. They are too focused on escaping a fire that doesn't exist (where is it? what's the rush?), getting the prime spot in the train to perfectly access the platform exit (good job, validation boy), and looking for any minor inconvenience that they can place the blame on for everything they dislike about themselves and their lives (inconvenience porn).
Sandoval
I’ll be honest and say that I am probably spending too much time on my phone while in transit. However, after exiting the train and until the exiting the station I won’t look into my phone. Some people are looking into their phones like zombies. Lots of them are either playing games, watching series/anime etc. and they are making congestion. Why is such a problem to stop looking at your phone, exit the station and continue doing whatever you were doing before? I personally have 0 considerations for all of those phone zombies when trying to get out of the station.
Jim
I’m looking forward to the day when using cellphones on platforms are banned! Using it for talking is ok but the browsing aspect make people zombies! Most of these people are on social media sites while walking around as if the world’s survival depends on them being on these social media sites 24/7!
It’s come to such a bad situation that even the shop employees ( sales staff in shops and restaurant workers ) are constantly checking their cellphones during working hours in Tokyo! Japans working style was so professional and diligent just a few years back and now it’s becoming crappy like most other countries!
RonJB
It appears a number of comments think this is a problem peculiar to Tokyo/Japan. Sadly, it is happening everywhere. Oxford Street in London is a hotbed of people addicted to screen staring.
When I was young, I trained myself to read and walk by honing my peripheral vision and not blocking out the sound of traffic. Perhaps what people need is a course on how to stare at a screen while walking without crashing into people or walking into traffic. Maybe a good idea for a start-up?
Evan Hayden
"Assuming you're in control can be dangerous."
These words feel more fitting for life in general than I imagine the poster designer intended!