There are many dangerous things in this world. Basically, everything can actually be construed to become something dangerous and something to be cognizant of while going through life. Riding a bike without a helmet, eating fried foods, not studying for tests--even breathing, because of the fumes that exist in the atmosphere. Some dangerous things are given more attention in society than others.
“It Can Wait” is a now ubiquitous slogan that refers to texting while driving, a pervasive problem. Therefore, awareness campaigns such as AT&T’s are extremely prevalent in the United States. There are laws against it, tickets are given to drivers caught doing it, points are added to licenses, licenses are revoked. Texting while driving is serious business. But it's not just while driving: texting while walking is also an issue. Living in Midtown gives me a new appreciation for the ability of a driver to honk his horn.
People just walk into the crosswalk with complete disregard for whether it's the red hand or the white man showing. People walk into each other, into dogs, garbage cans, fire hydrants. According to a study published by PLOS ONE, “texting while walking decreases the ability to walk in a straight line and slows down pace significantly.” Though this doesn't sound so dangerous, in NYC it could mean the difference between blending into the crowds or sticking out like a tourist. Just keep that in mind because nowadays, public image is everything.
One permutation of texting that definitely isn't given a lot of publicity is texting while flying. According to ABC Eyewitness News, there were 26 incidences of texting while flying which have led to multiple accidents within the last few years. Well, not exactly “while flying.” The pilots themselves weren't texting -- the air traffic controllers were. Here’s the problem: had it been the pilot’s texting, at least there would be autopilot as a backup. There’s no computerized backup for an air traffic controller. When I get into a car with a friend, I know that I am literally putting my life in her hands and if she starts texting, I have the power to say something.
When I’m crossing the street while walking in the city, I have the ability to look up from my phone. But when I’m sitting in the back of an airplane, I am utterly powerless. I have no idea what’s happening in the cockpit or in the air traffic control center. We don't really think about it because flying has become so routine but we are putting our lives in the hands of complete strangers whom we trust because we trust in the companies and the federally sanctioned laws that dictate air travel, having your phone off while directing air traffic being one of them. According to a retired air traffic controller, this is a major issue.
Even though it is against the law to have a phone turned on while on duty, texting is a prevalent problem. Sometimes workers are suspended from work for a couple of days, but generally, the worst thing that happens is a superior asking a worker to put it away.
Getting into a car or an airplane has an implied risk, but just like you wouldn't skydive without a parachute or go into a test without studying, you shouldn't text while doing other attention consuming things. It really can wait.
