Smombie

[Deleted member 35268]

Cycling to work today on a shared path and a smombie is just walking ahead, staring at his phone on a bend in the path. Other pedestrians are having to walk around him. I have to come to a complete stop before he even bothers to look up.

TOMORROW I WILL RING BY BELL as I pass.

 

[fossyant]

Boo !

 

[gbb]

There's little you can do (although a short bell ring may bring smombies out of their torpor).
I used to get annoyed, i just slow down now, almost to a stop if needed, make sure everyone gets home safe.
He might pay the price one day and end up in hospital, he's increasing his chances enormously (Darwinism) ....but i wouldn't want to be the person who puts him there, even if its because of his own stupidity.

 

[gbb]

As an aside, i remember a guy doing almost exactly this (he had a paper he was engrossed in ) as he crossed the road in front of my car, completely oblivious to the danger he was putting himself in.
I slowed, muttered then sounded my horn as i passed him (still seemingly oblivious to me until i honked). At that moment, i swear he nearly jumped out of his skin, arms in the air, newspaper spread all over the place, i must have scared him to death....and then i thought....crikey, i coulda given him a heart attack . I changed my response from that moment on.

 

[welsh dragon]

What's a Smombie?

 

[gbb]

And of course, you don't know he might have been temporarily engrossed in something really important, similarly a friend of ours lost her 7 yo son on Friday, he'd gone to the park, now nowhere to be found. Half the street promptly went out looking and while i was riding on a path locally, i looked at my phone checking any updates....temporaily too engrossed (and stupid) to realise i was approaching a bus crossing. I glanced up, slammed on my brakes as i saw a bus approaching....the driver had his eyes fixed on me, no doubt thinking 'you bloomin idiot (which in a way, i was, for all the best reasons)

 

[fossyant]

As an aside, i remember a guy doing almost exactly this (he had a paper he was engrossed in ) as he crossed the road in front of my car, completely oblivious to the danger he was putting himself in.
I slowed, muttered then sounded my horn as i passed him (still seemingly oblivious to me until i honked). At that moment, i swear he nearly jumped out of his skin, arms in the air, newspaper spread all over the place, i must have scared him to death....and then i thought....crikey, i coulda given him a heart attack . I changed my response from that moment on.

I've shouted 'Oi' at a driver that pulled out on me, I'd leveled up to the driver window and shouted. The driver jumped off their seat.

 

[Johnno260]

@welsh dragon

 

[welsh dragon]

View attachment 475556

@welsh dragon

Thanks. I think I need to get out more.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Apparently smart phone addicts are a regular hazard for blind people, who have to put up with collisions from people engrossed in their phones.

 

[Globalti]

Can somebody post the video of the smombie in the mall who blunders into an ornamental pool?

Oh all right, I'll do it:


View: https://youtu.be/nYgTM1pPjKQ

 

[Drago]

Phones should have an inbuilt proximity taser which cyclists can activate as they approach.

 

[ColinJ]

Phones should have an inbuilt proximity taser which cyclists can activate as they approach.

If bouncing off HGVs doesn't worry them, then I don't think that a taser will either!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Grab the phone as you pass, i think its common practice.. Thieves..
But after, you must lob it as high as you can..

It will let zombie see the world around them and disable the phone.. Keeping them safe

 

[postman]

Not going to apologize for saying this.But i have stopped moving aside for them bump and i am ready and better balanced than they are.I wish i was sooooo important i had to be glued to my mobile.