oann.com/tel-aviv-tries-out-new-crosswalk-lights-for-cellular-addicts
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel’s bustling business capital wants to stop “smartphone zombies” in their tracks.
Tel Aviv has placed ground-level LED lightstrips, which turn red and green, at a central crosswalk, hoping to catch the attention of pedestrians so engrossed in their mobile devices that they don’t look up before stepping into the road.
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Tel Aviv Tries out New Crosswalk Lights for Cellular Addicts
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(Score: 5, Insightful) by urza9814 on Monday March 18 2019, @05:44PM (14 children)
Hmm...would these work for people who are colorblind?
Also, red better flash, as a solid light is MUCH less likely to catch your attention from your peripheral vision.
But why not let natural selection work its magic? Might take a bit longer but it'll solve the problem eventually... :)
(Score: 4, Funny) by DannyB on Monday March 18 2019, @05:54PM (2 children)
Epileptic people were polled on this idea, but were unable to answer.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Monday March 18 2019, @06:57PM (1 child)
LOL...I believe it's gotta flash above a certain frequency for that to be an issue, so just make it slower than that. Flashing fire alarms and cop car lights don't seem to be an issue...
...assuming the lowest bidder government contractor installing this stuff does their research...
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Monday March 18 2019, @08:00PM
That's an American problem. TFA is about Israel, which does not have the corruption problem the US has. (Except for their Prime Minister of course)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @09:26PM (10 children)
Yeah! Let Darwin loose on the stupids.
Fewer stupids....fewer problems.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @10:02PM (4 children)
You do realize that frequent use of "Let Darwin sort them out" is also pretty stupid, right? Modern technological society is simply not a great filter for genetics, so take your eugenics-lite and GTFOOH!
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @10:51PM (3 children)
So, you are supporting people who can't even pay attention to whether or not they are walking into danger because they are too stupid to get off their fucking phone?
You mom was texting and walked into a light post and dropped you as a baby, huh?
Maybe we should give extra support to people who post AC comments without thinking!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @11:54PM (2 children)
If by "supporting people" you mean implementing safety features to prevent accidental injuries and deaths? Then yeah! Your call to let nature sort it out by weeding out the "bad genes" is so stupendously stupid I'm not sure where to start. Your comment is par for the course with the conservative / libertarian mindset. Don't worry, we'll stop you before you go full Hitler *eyeroll*
(Score: 3, Insightful) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday March 19 2019, @12:34AM
Sorry Mr. Eyeroll, but I am not a conservative, yet I also have no sympathy for someone stupid enough to walk into a street without looking up from his/her phone.
I would support legislation absolving drivers from any punishment too if it can be shown that the pedestrian was distracted and failed to take any reasonable precautions like simply looking up from a phone when they did not have right of way. This isn't an evolutionary argument: it's basic human decency. No driver should have to feel guilty because a moron is unable to separate eyeballs from a phone for a fraction of a second to check for safety.
And no, I'm not anti-pedestrian -- I also support SEVERE penalties for being distracted by such devices while driving, which should be treated at least as seriously as DUI. At least drunk people can argue their judgment was impaired when they took the wheel -- idiots checking Facebook and texting while driving have no excuse for their negligent and reckless endangerment of others.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 19 2019, @08:18AM
This guy is right – Hitler didn't install "ground-level LED lightstrips".
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 18 2019, @11:47PM (1 child)
Budget pressure on municipality budgets in clearing up the slippery red goo they let behind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday March 19 2019, @02:30AM
Or pass on the cost [wikipedia.org]?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 19 2019, @03:16AM (1 child)
What you are forgetting are the consequences. And I'm not talking about deaths - which we all don't really want. No I'm talking about how the automotive industry has had to redesign cars and trucks to be more "pedestrian friendly" over the past 10-15 years because the number of pedestrian deaths (and injuries) has gone up. If we allow Darwin to take care of things, the automotive design criteria will get even more restrictive. Which would suck, because to meet the tighter regulations all cars and trucks will implement the same designs and start to look even more similar than they do today.
So, we need to find a way to get the idiots from only focusing on their devices as they walk like zombies down and across streets.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by urza9814 on Tuesday March 19 2019, @12:08PM
Alternatively, we could try holding people responsible for their own negligence instead of forcing those costs onto someone else.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 19 2019, @05:42PM
> Fewer stupids....fewer problems.
The stupids are desperately needed in the election!
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by AndyTheAbsurd on Monday March 18 2019, @05:52PM (6 children)
Their solution to people looking at the wrong thing is to give them a different thing to look at? That doesn't make sense.
Instead, why not provide an audible alert if it is not safe to walk? (Okay, I get that you probably don't want to introduce any more noise pollution...but "another set of lights" seems like the wrong solution to me, so maybe the noise pollution is another thing you have to put up with to live in the city.)
Please note my username before responding. You may have been trolled.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @05:58PM
If you are trying to get them to look at the right thing then getting them to stop looking at what they are currently looking at makes a whole lot of sense. Try thinking of it like this:
- Their solution to people looking at the wrong thing is to get them to look at the right thing.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @09:29PM (1 child)
Set up 'posture' recognition cameras: the cameras recognise any idiot on a phone about to walk into traffic, the idiot gets a good jolt of electricity. Pavlovian training: next time, maybe they won't be so stupid.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Acabatag on Tuesday March 19 2019, @02:13AM
Why jolt the human? A directed HERF pulse at the electronic gadget would make it far less interesting to be staring at.
(Score: 2) by lentilla on Monday March 18 2019, @10:08PM (1 child)
All that needs to be done is to force the zombie to temporarily stop looking at their phone. Once the deep concentration is broken there is an opportunity to re-focus on data of a more critical nature - like the autobus approaching at high speed.
(The AC made a similar comment above [soylentnews.org] but I posit the trick is less about getting them to look at the right thing and more about breaking their concentration, albeit temporarily.)
Consider a teenager watching television. "Johnny, you said you were going to take out the trash." "Uh huh." "Johnny?" "Yeah, OK." "Johnny???" Walk up to the wall and pull the plug from the socket. Johnny looks up. "Take out the trash, now, please?"
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday March 19 2019, @12:15PM
Depends how you do it. Pull out the plug and hold it in your hand, Johnny looks at you. Flip the circuit breaker from the other room, Johnny now becomes extra focused on determining why the hell the damn thing stopped working.
Point being, some of the suggestions ranging from localized signal jammers to EMP style devices could backfire by making people even MORE focused on their phones as they try to figure out what the hell just interrupted their feed. Even forcing a full-screen pop-up that says "Please look up while crossing the street" might just result in increased focus on trying to dismiss it...because people ARE that stupid...
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday March 19 2019, @02:33AM
Just install steps or trip wires.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Monday March 18 2019, @05:53PM (13 children)
A system as sensible as this could never be allowed in America.
Idea: how about a mandated cell phone standard where the intersection automatic traffic controller could force a big red or green Walk / Don't Walk / Run indicator onto the phones standing at the intersection?
Taking this further, make it generalized so that the message can be customized.
Open it so that the government can use this mechanism in general. Such as for Amber Alerts that can have graphics and any full screen image and sound the government wants to display.
Give the system a remote capability to dramatically increase the transmit power so that coverage from every single intersection can instantly extend to all phones in nearby buildings and open areas.
The system could be centrally controlled such that a single web service api could affect any single or combination of intersection transmitters anywhere in the country.
There is probably some IoT tie in here that I am missing.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @06:10PM
You are missing the raised taxes, and you should also ban the most popular websites people are looking at when approaching the crosswalk.
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Monday March 18 2019, @06:14PM
That is A-OK, that is yet another reason to make everyone throw out their 5-minute old cell phone and buy a completely new one as this system grows and expands well in to the future. And everyone will do it because youcantbetoosafethinkofthechildrenrecyclingisgreenpollywannacracker.
Your idea is perfect for America. Expect implementation to begin soon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @07:32PM
Better idea: let natural selection run its course.
Bonus: zero compatibility issues and no installation costs.
(Score: 2) by Barenflimski on Monday March 18 2019, @07:44PM
I'm not sure you need all that. How about an app installed directly on the phones that uses GPS warn them they are at another intersection?
<sarcasm>
Not accurate enough? Maybe we put in a "regular user mode" which warns them that if they are walking to look up from their phone, smile, make eye contact, watch out for cars and put their phones in their pockets.
A possible extra layer is a dolly-uber company. If you need to stare at a phone, but its too close to drive, we'll have someone show up with a dolly to cart you from office to office while you stare at your phone.
This is also a great time to involve blue-tooth connected shoes. Vibrate the feet when they get close to the corner. Maybe for outdated shoes that don't connect to the internet, we just electrify the street underneath their feet so they get that feeling they should look up.
</sarcasm>
(Score: 4, Insightful) by edIII on Monday March 18 2019, @07:55PM (4 children)
Absolutely, 10000000000%, FUCK THAT SHIT
Just because some imminent Darwin Awards can't pay attention is no reason to steal focus from the user. That is the #1 offense I believe operating systems and programmers make. I hate that more than anything else in operating systems and platforms. If have the focus on some other control or input, and I'm in the middle of input, pressing keys at speed, it's abhorrent when some programming assclown takes me directly to his fucking pop-up and then HE/SHE DECIDES that the focus is now on their fucking buttons. So at speed, I'm trying to get shit done, and then I click OK to something I couldn't even fucking see, and I'm left in a completely different state than what *I* was in. I, being the user, the one who most of the time owns the fucking system. Something lost on a great many programmers; They serve the user. Period.
I will never, EVER, **EVER**, agree that government can steal my user focus on machines I own. For any fucking reason. Ever. That's a slippery slope that only ends with the government being root admin, and myself being a user without full control over my hardware. Since that could easily be hacked with YouTube videos showing you how to do it, a new war starts between the users and the authorities over what happens with the device. The bottom line, is you advocate the march towards Fascist tyranny on our devices.
The only compromise I can think of is the use of notifications. They do not steal focus, they exist along the sides of the interface usually (mostly the top), and it's up to the user to click the notification to receive more information. If I'm out walking, I'm pretty much never on my phone. I stop for a moment, or find a place to sit. Maybe this a revolutionary idea, but I don't use my phone while using the crosswalks. I never assume shit anymore about the other drivers (who can also be suffering from smartphone disease). I take down the top of my hoodie (if I have one on) and do my best to be maximally situationally aware while trying exist next to heavy machinery being operated by distracted assholes.
That's my choice though. I will not consent to having my choices and freedoms taken away because the majority of everyone else has their heads firmly up their asses.
There is really only two solutions here. One, let Darwin take care of it. Two, have AI take over all heavy machinery, which includes all vehicles, including motorcycles. Outlaw bicycles if the unwashed masses or so freakin' addicted they can't even stop while riding a bike.
I swear, I'm expecting to hear that deaths while base jumping have increased because of smartphone addiction....
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @10:01PM
Gee EdIII, why hold back, please tell us how you really feel!
(Score: 3, Informative) by lentilla on Monday March 18 2019, @10:13PM (1 child)
Sadly you are probably correct. Instead of concentrating on the jump itself the focus is diluted by taking an awesome selfie.
Odd creatures, humans.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday March 19 2019, @02:37AM
https://phogotraphy.com/2014/12/18/death-selfie/ [phogotraphy.com]
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/features/why-are-so-many-base-jumpers-dying/ [nationalgeographic.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 19 2019, @01:28PM
Did I need to put a sarcasm tag on that? I thought the title "A modest proposal" would give it away.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday March 18 2019, @09:33PM (2 children)
Idea: let them get hit.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday March 18 2019, @11:48PM (1 child)
And equip self-driving cars with spikes and blades.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday March 19 2019, @10:40AM
Oooooooh! Street Rollerball!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Funny) by lentilla on Monday March 18 2019, @10:21PM
I'd monetise it thus: if you don't have the latest iPhone the indicators turn off. Even better, if you are standing in a crowd of people at an intersection and somebody walks up who doesn't have the latest iPhone, not only do the indicators turn off, but all the latest iPhones play an alarm tone with an arrow pointing at the offender.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by isostatic on Monday March 18 2019, @07:22PM (1 child)
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/26/germany-installs-ground-level-traffic-lights-for-distracted-cellphone-users.html [cnbc.com]
Germany April 2016
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38992653 [bbc.co.uk]
Feb 2017 in Netherlands
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/walkway-innovations-to-keep-smartphone-zombies-away-from-danger [straitstimes.com]
Singapore and Melbourne in March 2017
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Monday March 18 2019, @11:21PM
The ones that were installed here in Melbourne have been rather useless. Two of the "strips" quickly failed altogether, and another is typically stuck on yellow. Plus you don't really notice them until after sun-down anyway.
Mostly feels like a bad solution in search of a problem that can't be fixed easier (in this case - just pay some damn attention where you're going!)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @08:45PM (1 child)
Sometimes I hate my generation, then I remember the other generations...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @11:07PM
NHST user
(Score: 3, Touché) by theluggage on Monday March 18 2019, @09:37PM
Wait for green floor-mounted light, start crossing, get hit by a car that didn't stop at the lights because the driver was texting...
Seriously, this seems like a bad idea which is just going to help iZombies to cross without taking their eyes off their phones. There are bicycle couriers. There are prototype self-driving cars where the safety driver is watching Netflix. There are huge trucks where the driver ran out of Red Bull 700 miles back - would have ended up as a hood ornament on one of those myself if I didn't I regard even the regular lights as a distraction from the key question of 'have those big metal moving things actually stopped?'
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday March 18 2019, @10:42PM (1 child)
Easier to install at intersections would be a sensor to detect an approaching phone, and then trigger [ air horn blast | electric shock delivered through step plate | slap from a giant rubber hand ].
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Funny) by RamiK on Tuesday March 19 2019, @12:26AM
You know what they should do? They should put up a sign. With blinking light. Telling you to stop and go. And paint the road with white parallel lines so they'll be clear. And pass laws telling driver to slow down... Oh and some scary robot monster to guard the sign if people can't read! That makes loud VROOM! noises. That will go back and forth looking big and menacing. That people will know it's dangerous...
P.S. Can't remember if the original was Monty Python or Norm Macdonald or something... It involved a lion and a cage and some kid not reading the sign... And it was probably funny/ier*.
*Alcohol blood levels may vary.
compiling...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 19 2019, @02:26AM
Khazar jewish rats getting run over and killed by non-jew-built-cars while checking khazar jewish facebook, a fitting punishment for a nation of extreme racist khazar jewish rats. Now if we can scale it up to get each and every single one of them racist zionist khazar jewish rats, that would be priceless.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday March 19 2019, @07:38AM
Taking the fun out of zombie killing. Sheesh.
Culling the herd of stupidity strengthens the herd. Quit interfering!
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 19 2019, @08:23AM
Make it AOK to run over dumb people who use their "smartphones" in traffic.