Look up from your phone
Screenshot from CBS News video (click to watch).

I know in this day and age it seems like everyone is addicted to their phones. There have been so many times that pedestrians walking down the sidewalk or even crossing the street have almost bumped into me because they were so engrossed in their phones. Really? Is that Instagram photo, Facebook post, YouTube video, or text that important? I don’t think so.

There are times when I catch myself doing it, too, but since we now live in a different age I make a conscious effort to put down my phone and look around so I’m aware of my surroundings—no matter if I’m walking down the street, in a department store, or on a subway or an airplane. That’s because if I see something fishy, I want to be ready to act, which could involve pouncing on a troublemaking person, alerting the authorities, giving cover to my family, or running like a bat out of hell.

And following Monday’s Port Authority bombing, it looks like the NYPD is offering the same advice. “I’m simply asking those of you who do not already do so, maybe to look up from your phone,” is the message from the FBI’s Bill Sweeney per CBS News (around the 9:31 mark). You can watch the extended press conference here.

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2 Comments On "Look Up From Your Phone, Says the NYPD"
  1. Jackie|

    An FYI for those traveling to Honolulu.
    Mayor of Honolulu, Kirk Caldwell, signed Bill 6, also known as the Distracted Walking Law, in July. Texting while walking in a crosswalk can get you a ticket. In fact, a downward glance at a screen of any kind will cost you — a phone, a tablet, a video game.

    Under the new law, the only legal reason for a pedestrian to use a cellphone while crossing a street or highway would be to call 911 to report an emergency.

    Minimum fines for breaking the new law start at $15; for repeat offenders, the penalty ranges from $75 to $99. Higher rates — up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third — had been considered earlier this year.

    1. Johnny Jet|

      Hi Jackie,

      Yep! We wrote about it a few months ago. https://johnnyjet.com/honolulu-phone-crosswalk/

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