Sidewalk Cell Phone Lane

China Creates Sidewalk for People who Walk and Text

By Didi Tang | Associated Press, - Posted on September 19, 2014

The Chinese city of Chongqing has created a smart phone sidewalk lane. It's a path for those who are messaging and tweeting to watch where they're going.

The property manager says it's intended to remind people that it's dangerous to tweet while walking the street.

"There are lots of elderly people and children in our street and walking with your cell phone may cause unnecessary collisions here," said Nong Cheng of Meixin Group, which manages the area in the city's entertainment zone.

Meixin has marked a 165-foot stretch of pavement with two lanes. One that prohibits cell phone use is next to one that allows pedestrians to use them at their "own risk."

Nong said the idea came from a similar stretch of pavement in Washington, which National Geographic Television created as part of a behavior experiment.

She said that pedestrians were not taking the new lanes seriously. Many were snapping pictures of the signs and sidewalk.

"Those using their cell phones of course have not heeded the markings on the pavement," she said. "They don't notice them."

Talk to someone sitting next you and answer the following question together: Why did the Chinese create a separate lane for people who text while walking, rather than banning cell phones for safety reasons?

Then, start a new blog post. Answer the question: Do you think the US should make a special lane of the sidewalk for people using cell phones? Why yes, or why no? Give three reasons in three paragraphs.