Sir, – I feel that the debates between motorists, pedestrians and cyclists that occasionally flare up in the letters page of this newspaper are missing a point. In the current era of the ubiquitous smartphone, I feel that the battle lines are being redrawn to a divide between real people and zombies, ie those in thrall to their mobile devices.
As a daily cycling commuter in Dublin city centre, I am forced to take evasive action on a regular basis from these lethal sleepwalkers for my own safety. This morning near Christchurch, a pedestrian stepped onto the street in front of me while blithely scrolling through a social media feed. Yesterday I witnessed a fellow cyclist, headphones in, and unaware until it was almost too late that a Luas was approaching behind him at speed. Last week on Thomas Street, a car drifted into the bus lane (and almost into me) as the driver struggled to maintain control of the vehicle and compose a text at the same time.
In the absence of any meaningful law enforcement on the issue, it appears to me that the zombies are winning. – Yours, etc,
HUGH GALLAGHER,
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Naas,
Co Kildare.