The Smartphone Shuffle - get out of the way!

By : Administrator
Published 18th June 2018 |
Read latest comment - 21st June 2018

Is it me being grumpy? Probably  Or are smartphones the biggest cause to pedestrian chaos and urban frustration?

Everywhere I go there seems to be slow moving waddling traffic, with someone staring intently and hunched over their screen whilst ambling along. From dropping the kids off at school with parents quickly checking gods knows what whilst walking at no speed per hour, to people walking across the Tescos car park in a world of their own and just missing my bonnet.

If you look around any town centre now, there seems to be a continual slow march of smartphone addicted zombies plodding round in a large circle. At least they are getting some exercise whilst digesting the latest gossip from the Daily Fail or searching for the next Groupon Voucher.

Apparently this has now been scientifically proven that average pedestrian speeds have decreased, making town planning models of the past irrelevant, with there now being a 2 speed pedestrian cycle. Slow moving smartphone shuffle traffic versus a smaller subset of fast moving people with a purpose traffic, who are listening to music from their smartphones. I'm sure we are all been secretly programmed by aliens or joining a cult via the app store.

I don't even know why it's called a phone, that's about the only thing no one actually uses it for. If you want to read the news or find out about Celebrity Love Island, get out of my way and sit down. 


Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn
Comments

Oh you sound old .....but you are right!! I have tried to stop myself from doing it but must admit i get caught from time to time. Usually mine is conversations with people by text rather than random browsing though, I have to say. I think most people have a level of addiction to their phone that is actually quite worrying. I love to march along when I am walking but since having the children that is a rare luxury nowadays! Their little legs are too slow.


Oddly enough it's a phone for me 90% of the time. I mostly only look at emails and the odd text message. I only use my phone if I am in dire straights and that tends to be not being able to find a parking garage and such like in the car.. I leave all the rest for the PC

 


Thanks,
Andy-C | Pewter World

Oddly enough it's a phone for me 90% of the time. I mostly only look at emails and the odd text message. I only use my phone if I am in dire straights and that tends to be not being able to find a parking garage and such like in the car.. I leave all the rest for the PC

 ”

 

We're on the same page Andy  

Missus is the exact opposite and is addicted to her phone., just calls me a grumpy dinosaur, which is probably about right...


Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

Just wait until the apocalypse comes and the phone networks go down. Steve and Andy will rule the world and the rest of us will wander in circles crying for Alexa or OK Google to do things for us and weeping when there's no reply...


I purposely target any pedestrian walking towards me looking down at their phones...... I stand still about 3 paces before we both collide into one another, and wait for their grovelling apology...... 


Thanks,
Barney

I purposely target any pedestrian walking towards me looking down at their phones...... I stand still about 3 paces before we both collide into one another, and wait for their grovelling apology...... ”
 

This is starting to explain a lot about your life....hahahaa


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