Pier in St. Joesph's where woman fellI speak from experience when I say St. Joseph, Michigan, right there on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a really beautiful spot. But that's even more reason I cannot believe a local woman fell off the pier as a result of "distracted strolling." More specifically, she was texting while walking. Yes, really. I don't get it. Why would you go out there to enjoy the scenery, but then be so glued to your smartphone, probably smiley-facing and "LOL"-ing away, that you fall off the pier?! Oy vey!
The woman, Bonnie Miller, was with her hubby and 15-year-old son when she lost her balance on the South Pier in St. Joe's, and woosh -- there she went -- straight into Lake Michigan! It sounds funny at first, but it really wasn't.
Miller was reportedly having trouble treading water due to the heavy current. And it was a whole ordeal to rescue her. Apparently, a passerby jumped in after Miller and was able to keep her afloat until rescue personnel arrived.
Wow. If this isn't a lesson in why you ought to put down your phone and pay attention to what's in front of you, I don't know what is!
There's a lot of ranting and raving about the stupidity of texting and walking, and I'm usually one of the loudest voices contributing to that conversation. But this story teaches us that it's not just stupid to text and walk. It's also totally unsafe! And not just for the texting walker him or herself. A compulsive, addictive insistence on texting and walking can create a danger to those around you, too. (Hello, lady on the escalator trying to weave around the rest of us commuters with your phone in your face. I'm not going down, because you have to update your Facebook status ...)
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Truly, I cannot help but wonder: What was Miller texting that was so important, so consuming that she couldn't get back to that person once she was safely off the pier? Also, why is it that people can't just stop or "pull over" to the side of the sidewalk/road/pier, etc. to conduct their texting safely -- and then get on with their lives? It sure as hell would help the rest of us who have our smartphones stowed whilst on the move get on with ours. And certainly make for fewer stupid accidents like this one!
Here's the local news report on Miller's debacle ...
Woman falls off pier while texting: woodtv.com
Do you text and walk? Do you feel bad for someone like this woman who probably should have known better?
Image via woodtv.com
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Comments 25
I will admit I text and walk but I usually move my eyes from the screen to the road/area in front of me so something like that doesn't happen. Don't most piers have railing type stuff....
ROFLMAO....I'm sorry, but I find that really funny.
I actually can't text and walk...I've tried. I have to stop walking or whatever, reply to the text, and then continue with what I was doing.
Thank god she wasn't holding her son while doing this. I do not walk and text, haven't for a long time because of crap like this, you may think you look up and down at your screen while walking and texting but your not...seen it before, person walking and texting, looking at the phone looking up then boom someone comes around the corner and runs into you.
This texting crap is just obsessive. My daughter lost her phone for a day and she went spastic. All her contacts were on it. No texting, OMG. BUT the sad thing is that people are losing the human touch, rather text than visit and even talking on the phone is becoming a thing of the past. I felt really sorry for the sorry state I saw my daughter in. People make fun of me b/c I refuse to text, but that makes people contact me in other ways. It does look like there's a railing if that is the pier she fell from so was she walking so fast that she fell over the end of it? Why go walking with your family if you're going to text anyway?
LOL. I know I shouldn't laugh..but at the same time...I'm thinking serves you right..is floating through my head. Glad I am not texting / cell phone obsessed! Thankfully they pulled her out okay and hopefully was a lesson learned.
But i have not sympathy for her, if she cant be bothered to look where she walks, she should have stayed home. I do feel bad for her son...so much for quality time with his mother.
And kudos to that passerby who jumped
I have probably send maybe 10 texts in my lifetime and I am 26. I have a cell phone but I hate the thing. When I go out I don't want people to bother me. If I need to ask or tell you something I will call you! I don't feel sorry for her. It is stupid!