Surviving the phone zombie apocalypse

Alan S Hilibrand of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recently told the Washington Post that an estimated "60 percent of pedestrians are distracted ... (and are) either on the phone or doing something on their phone".

He said that in May a 68-year-old woman was killed just a few blocks from his hospital in Pennsylvania when she attempted to cross a road while looking down at her iPad. She was knocked down in Chinatown by an amphibious duck vehicle filled with tourists.

In Tokyo, people walking or on bicycles now cause 41 percent of all cellphone-related accidents, according to an AFP report that cited a senior official with the city's fire department, which runs the ambulance service.

The official said 122 people had been hurt in accidents caused by pedestrians using cellphones between 2009 and 2013, including a middle-aged man who died after accidentally wandering onto a railway line.

Last year, the southwest city of Chongqing unveiled a special lane for smartphone zombies along a 50-meter stretch of road. I'm not sure what the goal was, but the move looked to be more of a tongue-in-cheek publicity stunt than a genuine attempt to address the issue.

The first thing that occurred to me upon hearing the news was: "How will a zombie know it's there?" As they never look up, only a WeChat message or some kind of signal on Candy Crush would alert them to the fact they were in the right or wrong lane.

Small tip: Don't try to play chicken with a zombie when on a collision course; it's as much fun as playing chess with someone with locked-in syndrome.

For me, texting or "WeChatting" while walking is just as hazardous as texting while driving. Hence, pedestrians and motorists should follow the same rule: If it's urgent, pull over to a safe spot, stop, and text away.

When it comes to those watching movies and TV shows, well ... have you heard of podcasts?