To have been using my phone while walking on the pavement

[untiloneofuscaves]

I’ll hold my hands up and say this is one of those things that I know is really annoying.

I was walking on the outside of the pavement answering an email because I’ve not had a chance all day. I wasn’t weaving and there was probably 5 foot of space to my right.

Two young men (probably mid-20s) saw me and walked right towards me. One bumped his shoulder into me and went “watch where you’re going you fat fuck” and the other said “yeah watch where you’re going fat fucker”. As they walked past me one shouted “fat fuckers like her shouldn’t be allowed to live” and both kept yelling fat fucker as I walked away.

AIBU to think this really isn’t justified?

The railway has identified phone use as a major cause of accidents at stations

From a driver's perspective pedestrians who have no idea of what is happening around them are a big worry

fairly urgent to me. It didn’t affect anyone else I walked past, just these two. So I’m going to go out on a limb and say it wasn’t that bad

Just because they didn’t say anything didn’t mean they didn’t have to move oht of your way.

Stop trying to justify using your phone while walking. It’s not safe and it’s annoying.

It’s absolutely fine to do it, it’s 2026.

They were obviously rude, BUT, I'd take it as a warning that you were very lucky this time and to not do it again!:

-They could have stolen your phone
-They could have stolen your phone and bumped you into the road
-A bike or motorcyclist could have stolen your phone and NO, this doesn't just happen in London!

But you walking down the street with your face stuck in your phone had nothing to do with the urgent email anyway.

I mean since you've said you're still walking and Mumsnetting now?

I imagine OP has had an awful day, to be insulted like that and called fat (by grown adults). She’s probably come to Mumsnet hoping some kind people make her feel better. I’m sorry that they said that to you. That’s really disgusting. On your phone or not, it doesn’t matter. Loads of people are walking around on their phones. They don’t deserve to be called names or barged. Hardly crime of the contrary is it! I hope you’re ok OP

Staggered that people are trying to justify their behaviour.

@untiloneofuscaves do you think they bumped into you accidentally? Because it sounds to me like it was deliberate and they assaulted you physically and then verbally.

Literally no one is trying to justify their behaviour.

It's an tatey thing (andrew) They get off on it. They are scum

I haven't seen anyone justifying them calling the OP a fat fucker??

They were dicks. There's nothing wrong with walking and using a phone as long as you're not getting in anybody's way. Some of us can walk and chew gum at the same time. It's not antisocial - and anyway nobody owes anyone social behaviour when they're just minding their own business on a random street!

I’m 99.9% sure it was on purpose. Like I say, I was aware of their presence and they crossed over the pavement to be walking in my path and bumped into me on purpose.

Lots of "yes they were rude, but..."

And? Your point is? Some people are able to do more than one thing at once

You already know it isn’t.

You were(and from the sound of it still are) behaving in a selfish antisocial unsafe manner. And still they were worse.

I think it would have happened phone or not. They just wanted to be dicks.

This is a thread of two halves, not sure what the OP expects.

It’s actually lots of ‘Yes, their behaviour was utterly abhorrent and completely unacceptable. In addition to that, your own behaviour left something to be desired…’

They’re complete arse hats! I would say though, keep your phone safe when walking down the road, people on bikes/scooters etc grab and fly off - also if it’s a work email, it can wait

This is where we are in 2026.

Face in phone.. mildly annoying.

Being abused in public by young thugs.... absolutely abhorrent and indefensible.

Can't believe people are commenting on the phone. The utterly vile behaviours in society we just accept these days are our of control.

What they said and how they said it was disgusting and i hope they feel bad.

But you walked into them and it’s rude to write and text or email and be so obvious to what’s going on around you that you barge into someone.

Imagine if this was a blind person?
They wouldn’t have been able to move out of your way.

Its fine to check your phone quickly but reading an email requires you to move your the side and stop.

I had the opposite happen, a man walked straight into me because he was engrossed in his phone and told me I should have gotten out of his fucking way. Why should I manoeuvre around idiots who have no situational awareness - he was 100% in the wrong.

You wouldn’t read a book whilst walking, so why read you emails.

I did not walk into them. They deliberately crossed the pavement to walk in my path.

I'm not sure 'justify' means what you think it does.

That's an acknowledgement they were rude and an acknowledgement the OP shouldn't be walking along a public pavement, with her head stuck in her phone.

The ironic thing is, she then stuck her head in her phone again, logged onto Mumsnet, went to her account settings, name changed and then started a thread to discuss this with strangers whilst STILL walking along on a public pavement.

But according to the OP this is fine 'because it's 2026'.