Thursday 9 June 2016

Textestrians

I found myself talking to the radio announcer on my way home from the shops.

He was talking about the traffic lights that are being installed in pavements in Sydney to prevent accidents caused by pedestrians distracted by their phones.

The “in-ground traffic-light technology” will shine red to indicate when it’s dangerous for pedestrians to cross the road.  Such texting pedestrians are now called textestrians.

I wanted to know what we call the shoppers who forget what they are doing while texting?   I was still annoyed about the texting woman, who couldn't even use youth as an excuse, who had run into me in the supermarket aisle.  I had seen her coming and I guess I could have moved out of her way as I was no doubt expected to do but was gripped by some sort of pigheadedness and stood my ground.  Or aisle.  I could have moved my shopping trolley so she hit into that but chose to turn my body so I took her forward action on my shoulder and not front on.  I could even have dropped by shoulder and hurt her a little but, to give myself some credit, didn't.

I almost blurted out "Sorry" as one tends to do when one accidentally bumps into someone in the shops but restrained myself, waiting for her apology.  Might as well wait for that star to appear in the east again, it wasn't going to happen.  She barely missed a step or lifted her eyes before stepping around me and carrying on.  I started to give her an earful before I realised I was wasting my breath.

I had a bit of difficulty "letting it go" on the way home and the news from Sydney set me off again.  I tried many forms of pedestrians to use as a descriptive word for such rude people before settling on "pestestrians".  

Have you got a better suggestion?

16 comments:

  1. NO better suggestions from me sorry, been many a time I've encountered the very same. Kinda sad really that manners and common courtesy dont' seem to exist today.

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    1. How how I agree, Amy. I find it extra sad when the pestestrians are no longer young and, in my opinion, should know better.

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  2. Hello Pauline,

    I am sure I am your Aussie twin sister, these sort of people absolutely annoy me. I no longer own or want a mobile phone, you can easily live without one. You get to conversations with real people!!!

    Just love this post.

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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    1. Hi Bev, I thought you would agree with me. I wish I had your willpower to do away with the cellphone, I curse it so often.

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  3. I like your new word. My pest would be my wife..oops..she is completely oblivious to any other person in the aisle.

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    1. Oh oh. Oddly I don't mind people who stop without thinking about other people in supermarkets, I think I've been guilty a few times myself. I tell myself they are lost in their own world and maybe it is a better place.

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  4. Yes but this is a family blog. How about tucking fwats?

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    1. Nice suggestion, Adrian. But one I'd have to keep under wraps I think.

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  5. If you were brave enough you could have grabber her arm and told her she might injure herself and to be careful for her own sake.

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    1. I'd have to be very brave indeed to do that in this day and age, Tabor. Would probably be charged with assault of some such nonsense.

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  6. Yes it's a major irritation and lots of people are injured and worse by walking into traffic. I'd have moved the trolley into her path!

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    1. I was tempted, Graham but I think I wanted to be up close and personal when she apologised. Some hope!

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  7. This is why i don't get mail on my phone, and only text if i'm sitting down (and not in traffic!).

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    1. My phone is so ancient it doesn't do mail and I have to be sitting to peer closely at the screen to read it. I'm pretty sure I'd have the same habits if it were the latest model.

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  8. Thanks, Felicia. I just wish they would all go away and we didn't need to make up names for them,

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  9. I am ashamed to say that I'd have been tempted to stick my foot out in front of her.
    It is getting dangerous to drive in Victoria. People - especially young women, for some reason - head out into the intersections texting away and oblivious to cars, lights or cyclists. It makes me want to grind me teeth.

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