We don’t write editorials urging people to stop smacking themselves in the forehead with a ball-peen hammer.
Nor do we advise people to not stab themselves in the foot with a pitchfork as they putter around in their backyard.
The wisdom of avoiding such self-destructive behaviour we hold to be self-evident truth, simply not requiring editorial comment.
And yet, here is this reminder to all that when you step into traffic with your attention focused on your digital screen, you might as well be stepping off a cliff.
Which, incidentally, has happened. On Christmas Day 2015, a man from Indiana walked off a cliff in San Diego, falling nearly 20 metres to his death because he was looking at his electronic device instead of paying attention to where he was going. Not the smartest thing one can do with a smartphone. To compound the tragedy, this victim was the father of a young boy.
Locally, police in Surrey tell us a 22-year-old woman was rushed to hospital on Sunday night, suffering from head injuries, after she stepped out into traffic while using her cell phone and got hit by a taxi.
READ ALSO: Surrey woman in hospital after stepping in front of cab while on phone: police
This happened near Scott Road and 99th Avenue. Police say she was attempting to cross the busy road mid-block, which is never a good idea under any circumstances.
While pedestrians should always cross at crosswalks in cases like this, it wouldn’t really matter if you’re not paying attention to traffic.
Do we really have to say it? Cars can hurt you, and trucks, even worse. Keep your eyes on oncoming traffic before you step off the curb, and while you are in the process of crossing.
Surely, for your own safety, you can peel your eyes away from your precious cell phone for at least those seconds it takes to cross the street, no?
After all, you’re worth it.
We suspect Sunday’s unfortunate pedestrian would agree.
— Now-Leader
edit@surreynowleader.com
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