Can We Just Walk Please?

As I was getting off the Metra train in downtown Chicago, a woman made a sudden move right and ran right into me. Not a big deal. That tends to happen when a few hundred people simultaneously deboard a rush hour commuter train and attempt to walk into Union Station along a platform that’s about 12 feet wide. I get it—there’s gonna be some contact. But this woman didn’t apologize or even acknowledge that she had just jammed an elbow (a sharp one) into my ribs. In her defense, she probably didn’t realize she had done it because she was totally engrossed with her smartphone as she was walking.

Chicagoans! And people all around the world! I ask you once more…I beg of you…I plead with you…can we please put the smartphones away at least while we’re walking?! I know I’m asking a lot. You’ve gotta return that email, tweet that pithy quote, post that picture, or heck—just finish watching that last episode of Dawson's Creek before you hit the office. But I need you to let all that go for a few moments and FOCUS.

I acknowledge my request is mostly selfish: I’m tired of people blindly bumping into me, tired of weaving through oncoming traffic on the sidewalk, and tired of re-routing around people who have stopped in the middle of a sea of foot traffic to take a picture of…I dunno—I have no idea what they are taking a picture of in the middle of the sidewalk at 8 a.m.

But this is not solely about making my walks through downtown Chicago more convenient. It’s also about preventing injuries and deaths—literally. It’s gonna mean I no longer have to warn that person who’s about to step off a massive curb and snap an ankle (ouch)…or yell at that person who’s about to get pummeled by the Range Rover that blew through that yellow(ish) light because the driver was…well, using their smartphone.

Let’s imagine you’re on a commercial flight and somehow find out that your pilot is preoccupied…using their smartphone. You’d freak out, right? And you would most certainly demand a full refund of your airfare—or at least a free upgrade to an economy plus seat. And really, you shouldn’t be worried, should you? After all, they have auto-pilot…and a first officer…and not much to run into at an altitude of 35,000 feet. But when you’re simply walking the streets, there’s no auto-pilot and no first officer…and there’s lots and lots of stuff (and people) to run into, and stuff to fall into, and stuff to run into you. Not a good combination.

So while I’m at it, lemme just go ahead and also request that we don’t use our smartphones while driving. Now if you're using navigation to get to your destination, I'll give you a pass. But let’s stop the texting, checking email, or whatever the *cussword* that’s preventing the driver in front of us from realizing the left-turn arrow has been on for five seconds! C’mon, we’re all trying to get through this intersection!

And I’m by no means am I smartphone shaming anyone. I admit this is a habit that I too need to break. I am 100% guilty of digging out my iPhone while sitting in traffic and asking Siri to play “1999” for me right now. So let’s do this thing together! In the end, I’ll thank you, you’ll thank me, and we’ll both be thanked by the person we don’t run over at the next intersection as we blow through that yellow(ish) light.

GTall signing off.