Sidewalk for texting pedestrians divides opinion

World
Europe

A city in China has come up with an unconventional but somewhat contentious response to people who are unable to take their eyes off their phones while walking the street.

Xi’an City in Shaanxi Province has dedicated some pavements specially for those avid smartphone users, leaving residents unsure as to whether it’s really a public safety option or an experiment gone too far.

The path was set up by a mall beside a parking lot in a commercial district in the city in April, running about one-meter wide and 100 meters long, and painted in red, green or blue with marking that says “cell phone users only.”

The pavement on the other side reportedly bans those who walk while texting, the South China Morning Post reported.

Security guards are said to be on hand directing traffic so that no vehicles will block the lane for those who text while walking, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

Despite their purpose, the lanes are meant to serve as a reminder to pedestrians who are glued to smartphones on the streets, the paper quotes mall staff as saying.

Many people just can’t seem to walk down a street without doing something with their mobile device. /VCG Photo

“Many who work in this area are in the information technology industry. They have a habit of holding their phones up close while walking. So having this lane here is to give them a heads-up,” a staffer told a Youth Daily reporter. “It’s also to give a ‘warning’ to vehicle drivers who tend to block pedestrian lanes."

Some netizens have said they understand the initiative, but others seem not to be impressed.

Those opposed say that it further encourages texting pedestrians. “It gives you the permission to be on your phone constantly. So who’s paying the price if something dangerous happens,” Weibo user @Cheng_jessica commented. “Wasting public space,” Another user @Xiaoleisylvia said.

Some argue that it’s a trolling experiment that has gone too far in the name of public safety. “Make the lanes better for the visually impaired first!” Weibo user @Yemosheng wrote. “Does the mall have rights to alter public infrastructure?” @Luohongsuixingbiji wrote.

It’s interesting to note that the cellphone lane in Xi’an is not the first of its case.

In 2014, the city of Washington DC introduced a social experiment by marking a separate lane for mobile phone-using pedestrians. Chongqing Municipality also created the first mobile phone sidewalk in China. In 2015, the Belgian city of Antwerp dedicated a specific lane to prevent broken phones when cellphone users collide with pedestrians.