Get yourself killed for #FOMO

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I nearly knocked down a young woman this morning on my way to school. Was I watching the road diligently? Yes! Was I driving over the speed limit? No! Had I alcohol or drugs in my system? No! Was I on my phone? No! But she bloody was! I was so angry I almost got out of the car and slapped her.

She was crossing the road while scrolling through some shite on her phone. Didn’t lift her head to check if there were any cars coming…..just simply walked out in front of me. Actually, correction; she was ‘speed’ walking! No, I don’t care if it was important stuff she was looking at. No, I don’t care if she was having problems with her boyfriend or whoever. No, I don’t care what issues she was going through.

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The problem is, this is not the first time it has happened to me. It’s actually the third time. What is wrong with people? Why is everyone so damned addicted to looking at their phones? Why are they prepared to get themselves killed on the road and possibly injure or kill others in the process?

I’m not allowed to drive while being on my phone. Why are people allowed to cross a busy road while on their phones? If I had knocked that woman down this morning, not only would she suffer, my child and I would suffer. She might have got injured and no doubt an insurance claim would be considered. She might have been killed and her family would suffer and I would have to carry the guilt of it for the rest of my life. My child would remember it!

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But as it happened, I slammed on my brakes BECAUSE I was driving diligently, sober, under the speed limit and I wasn’t on my phone! Having to slam on the brakes like that is not nice for a young child sitting in the back seat either – and I got a terrible shock.

If a driver knocks down a pedestrian as a result of being on their phone, they pay the price in more than one way. They will be prosecuted. But, if a driver knocks down a pedestrian as a result of THEM being on their phone, we still pay the price. The pedestrian won’t be prosecuted for causing an accident! All wrong!

I’m sick of phones right now. Everything is now now now. Do it now. Look at it now. Read it now! Take a picture now and post it up now. Like my picture right now please. Phone addiction! FOMO! Missing out on what exactly?

If you turn off your internet for two hours, what are you missing out on? Absolutely nothing. If you have your face stuck in your phone for two hours, what are you missing out on? Everything!

As you can tell, I’m so mad right now! Bye!

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26 thoughts on “Get yourself killed for #FOMO”

  3. A young man died here recently for the same reason. I felt desperately sorry for the family but also the driver. It was around our local college and they are lethal for wandering all over a busy road. There needs to be more public discussion on this topic.

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  5. You have every right to be mad. I walk (no vehicle) and I get eye contact with every vehicle before I step out into the road because stop signs and crosswalks sometimes don’t matter. We currently have a program for crosswalk safety that says no texting. I agree it drivers can’t (and they shouldn’t) then pedestrians shouldn’t either. Pay attention to what is around you people!!

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  6. Whilst I am totally onboard with your right to be annoyed, I must also add that your way of expressing it is brilliant! I’ve often pondered a #SoapBoxSaturday ranting project for this sort of thing. It’s just so common these days. Heads in screens with no special awareness. I got stuck behind a driver moving from a junction. Eating a blasted sandwich so couldn’t actually shift up a gear to go faster. Other drivers queue jumping at the last minute to get into a junction lane at the last minute. I call that pushing in with a lump of a ton or so. It’s enough to be going on without pedestrians ambling about causing chaos too. Bah, I could go on for ages here too!!

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  8. Sorry, don’t agree.
    If you are driving it is up to you to be expecting that sort of crap… inattentive phone user, child running out after a ball, dog chasing a squirrel across street. If you have to slam on brakes that’s what you have to do… You are the one in control of a thing that is carrying a far greater capacity to kill so you are responsible for not killing anything with it.
    If you have to ‘slam on the brakes’ then you are going too fast for the conditions, the speed limit is a guide for the ideal, not a OK target for any conditions.

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    • Of course I expect that sort of crap, Bryntin. A child, dog – unexpected incidents. What I don’t expect is (responsible) adults dashing out in front of me because they are too stupid to take their faces out of their phones.
      Pedestrians also have a responsibility to themselves. Even at 20mph a driver can ‘slam’ on the brakes! I’ll have you know that I don’t cross the speed limit especially in a busy town at a busy time of day. I was a responsible driver that morning….obviously!
      She was not a responsible pedestrian.
      There is something wrong Brytin if you think people crossing the roads with their eyes closed is okay!

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      • A pedestrian walking out is an unexpected incident. The SAME as the child or dog.

        You may not expect the pedestrian to walk out, but they do.

        One did on my first driving test, tried crossing the road in front of me from in between a row of parked cars. This was before phones and iPods/Walkmans. He could hear, he could see, he still walked out. He not only did something unexpected but did it with full awareness.

        It’ll happen, anywhere the road and the pavements next to them are only two inches of raised kerbing to separate them.

        You can argue all you like with them, you can educate them, you can make it against the law to walk up the street with music playing or a phone turned on but the unexpected will still happen. And that’s why I think that, as stupid as it is to effectively be blind walking up the street with your eyes glued to a social app or Pokemon game, it is still the responsibility of drivers not to kill pedestrians who stupidly do it because death is a pretty heavy penalty for making a mistake and it won’t be yours in your wheeled fortress.

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      • And you have proved my point exactly. The driver will always get the blame.
        Let’s hope it doesnt happen to you some day and no matter how quick you are to stop….it just may not be quick enough!

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      • Sorry, I shouldn’t have got involved. I quite clearly said it has happened to me above, in a driving test. And yes, the driver should mostly get the blame for most collisions.
        We’ll leave it there I think.

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      • Thanks for commenting Bryntin. Nothing wrong different opinions and a good healthy discussion is always welcome. Have a lovely day. 😊

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  9. I hate the way mobile phones have turned people into zombies, walking around staring down and not aware of anything going on around them. I see groups of young people sitting together but all staring down at their phones instead of talking to each other. It’s terrible the way this addiction has taken over.

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