How often do you text on a daily basis?
Do you ever text while you are walking?
Do you think texting while walking is a dangerous activity?
Do you think that people who text while walking disturb other pedestrians?
Texting while walking is the title of a New York Times video by Casey Neistat about the incidents of this activity while we are walking. You can also read his background ideas to the video in this The New York Times article.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video by clicking on the picture below and complete the blanks in the transcript.
Texting while walking may (1) ... the social stigmas of (2) ... driving or smoking crystal meth, but it can be just as dangerous. Understanding the blind spot is pivotal to (3) ... .
This is the limit of your visibility when texting. Anything outside of the narrow visibility zone is your blind spot. This (1) ... of spacial (4) ... is the source of most texting incidents.
Walking the streets texting isn’t much safer than walking them with a (5) ... on. Which brings me to lesson two, the etiquette of walking and texting. This man is being inconsiderate with his texting, forcing the people around him to (6) ... while he gets his text done. While this behaviour is clearly ill-mannered, it can also be dangerous.
What will happen when this man here stops to text?
Can I ask you a quick question? Do you think it’s dangerous to walk and text at the same time?
Sometimes.
Thank you.
Sometimes.
Thank you.
Do you think it’s dangerous to walk and text at the same time?
No, no, no.
Yes, (7) ... , it is.
Yes, but I do it anyway.
Yes, I hate that.
Proper technique is to putting your back against the wall and stand in one place while you text, allowing for traffic to safely (8) ... by.
Key:
1 lack 2 drunk 3 safety 4 awareness 5 blindfold 6 yield 7 definitely 8 flow
