To think people who walk along buried in their phone...

[OnlyTheTitOfTheIceberg]

...should have all their tech confiscated and made to go and live in a remote Himalayan retreat with no wi-fi?

They're a menace! To themselves and to anyone in their path. This morning, not for the first time, I had to grab the back of someone's coat to stop them from walking out in front of an oncoming car because they were too immersed in their phone screen to notice.

Pull into the side FFS, or at least LOOK UP occasionally.

It's like being in a crap Benny Hill chase scene.

I’m going to soundtrack all phone zombies to Yakkity Sax in my head now

Auberjean maybe the puddle was a clue?

Penners very well played

Agree with you.

I live a few streets away from a large primary school and my street is a popular route used by parents to walk their children to school as well as cycle (the parking can be parked for another thread).

The amount of times I see parents looking st their phones and paying no attention to their children is unbelievable. Yesterday I was particularly appalled as I saw one mum riding her bicycle with a baby on the back and she was texting while riding. Another was crossing the road while texting and her two daughters simply followed her across the road without anyone looking - into oncoming traffic who thankfully stopped in time.

YABU - okay some are addicted. Others like me are trying to juggle their crisises (My ill health, one child's car needing service, another child refusing college, another trying to change jobs and an ex who is being funny about money).

Or when my health is really bad just trying to distract themselves so they can manage the walk up that big hill.

If I'm walking somewhere new I often use google maps so will be looking down at my phone sometimes to check I'm going the right way. I make sure I still pay attention to where I'm going and if someone grabbed my jacket I'd be really freaked out and angry.
Are you sure the person was going to walk into the road? You say it's happened before too. I see lots of people looking at their phones and have never noticed someone walking in front of a car because of it.

You absolutely get a pass. I’m much more inconvenienced when out and about by entirely able-bodied slow moving pedestrians who also do thinks like stopping without warning. There are a lot of people who just dawdle around at snails pace, ad it annoys me, because surely they have something to do, or at least they should understand that other people have things to do.

How on earth do you know who's able bodied or not? I'm in my early 30s and look fit and healthy - I have arthritis and bone spurs in my ankle which some days can be incredibly painful.

Are you sure the person was going to walk into the road?

They walked past me (waiting for the car starting to turn right into the street to pass before crossing) and stepped off the kerb while looking at their phone so I can fairly confidently say yes, they were about to walk in front of oncoming traffic. I don’t make a habit of grabbing at people for no reason. They were more shocked than angry and muttered a thanks but hey, if you’re typical of phone zombies I’ll leave you all to it in future to take your chance rather than risk a mouthful for making you “angry” (for what? Saving you from possible injury or worse and the driver from a trauma you would have caused?) I’ll just make sure I’m on hand to offer my name to the driver as a witness afterwards. Perhaps you don’t see it because you’re...looking at your phone?

How on earth do you know who's able bodied or not? I'm in my early 30s and look fit and healthy - I have arthritis and bone spurs in my ankle which some days can be incredibly painful.*

But in that case, wouldn’t you walk on one side of the pavement so that all the high-speed people can just whizz past & you’re less likely to have someone bump into you if you need to stop?

Well quite Empress. I have fluctuating mobility issues myself - some days I'm fine, some days I have a limp, some days I have to use a stick. If it's a slow day I do my best to get/keep out of the way of anyone powering along behind me. Not being glued to a phone obviously helps with the awareness of whether they are or not! As PPs have said, it's often difficult and/or painful to have to dodge out of the way of phone zombies about to walk into me, and if it's a day when I'm using my stick I simply can't and have to stop instead.

This is the thread for me! I drive in London & the worst is - turning left into a side road & some tw@t just walks straight out (obvs I am aware & driving v slowly), but I like to bib the horn & watch them jump.

I'm also one of those who maintain my place on the pavement & dare anyone to walk into me.

Haven't RTFT but has anyone mentioned the (usually) men walking alongside the pushchair they are pushing one-handed. Do they look too effeminate pushing with both hands? Wtf is that? I'll barge into them. Or stop right in the way.

People reading books, walking like zombies during rush hour as we queue around them to get on and off escalators. Shoot them too.

Well quite Empress. I have fluctuating mobility issues myself - some days I'm fine, some days I have a limp, some days I have to use a stick. If it's a slow day I do my best to get/keep out of the way of anyone powering along behind me.

I’m lucky enough not to have problems most of the time, but on the odd occasion when I’ve had an injury I’ve done the same.

People who stop in a group on the pavement to have a conversation, also annoy me. I have been known to tell scuse me as I continue to walk towards them, it's like the parting of the red sea.
I have go round the side of a shop to get to my front door, so it's a blind corner, the amount of times people come bombing round the corner, with or without phone and nearly collide with me is astounding. I now take the corner on the kerb side.
If I'm having an anti social day, headphones on, eyes down, watch for feet, occasional look up and avoid well travelled areas like the plague.

But in that case, wouldn’t you walk on one side of the pavement so that all the high-speed people can just whizz past & you’re less likely to have someone bump into you if you need to stop?

If possible, yes I do. Occasionally the placements are so busy that's not possible. My point is that you can't tell if someone is able bodied by looking at them.

Dammit yell scuse me.

Grrrr.

I actually roared (well, almost) at someone who stopped at the top of an airport escalator to look at their phone. Yep, there was a great big pile up behind them - it was actually a bit scary as people were toppling backwards - all because of the oblivious arse needing to consult their phone without seeing if anyone else was behind them.

Ditto those who don't get off their phone when at a cashdesk/reception desk etc. Sooooooooo rude.

My point is that you can't tell if someone is able bodied by looking at them.

Yes, of course.

I've just had to stop suddenly on my way home for this reason. A woman was fiddling with her phone, looked the wrong way and crossed the road anyway despite my huge car with a van scarily close behind me! she looked up ever so vaguely and waved thanks. No idea of how hard the two vehicles had to break. Completely in her own world.

Another trick of some of the absorbed in phone types is seemingly “not noticing” queues at bus stops/shops/whatever.

Instead, they amble distractedly up to the front and act surprised when told “Oi!, get to the back of the queue.”