Yes you read that correctly, China has decided to turn from the notion that texting while walking is a nuisance, and instead work towards making it a more accepted practice. Instead of allowing pedestrians to bump into one another, the country with over 1.3 billion people has now gone with the idea of creating a texting lane for traffic.
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In the city of Chongqing, the adaptation for texting and walking has taken on a new meaning. While there are bike lanes as well as taxi and bus lanes in some cities, there are now texting lanes in the city.
While it may seem silly, it does make some sense considering the annoyance it can prevent. Rather than being bumped into and having to apologize for an unintentional form of contact, the Chinese have gone with innovation and acceptance.
The sidewalk features “Cell phones, walk in this lane at your own risk,” in one lane, “no cell phones,” in the other. The wording is presented in both Chinese and English.
It’s an interesting tactic considering the taboo around the way in which people look at texting and doing other activities. While we can all agree texting and driving is detrimental to the safety of those around you, making a walking lane seems rather harmless.
The idea that innovation and acceptance can be another avenue makes a lot of sense. Leave it to the Chinese culture to be at the forefront of technological advancement once again.