Cell Phone Pedestrian Traffic Nightmare

Many say that pedestrian cellphone use contributes to unsafe conditions, as well as the privatization of public space.

1 minute read

August 30, 2004, 6:00 AM PDT

While laws are being enacted all over the country to restrict cellphone use while driving, some are highlighting the problem that cellphone use creates on sidewalks as well. By bumping into others and stepping into traffic, cellphone pedestrians can hinder "the natural flow of human traffic along sidewalks."

"The proliferation of cellphone use on city streets is also contributing to what urban planners have come to call the privatization of public space....They are effectively cutting themselves off from the random encounters in public spaces that used to invigorate city living."

Thanks to Connie Chung

FULL STORY: No, You Can't Walk and Talk at the Same Time

Sunday, August 29, 2004 in The New York Times

Social / Demographics New York

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