Coquitlam mayor blasts pedestrians who don’t pay attention
Posted July 27, 2017 9:27 am.
Last Updated July 27, 2017 3:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) – Do you ever do this or see people do it? Someone walking down the street or crossing it while staring down at a smartphone.
A local mayor is pleading for folks to look up after nearly crashing into a distracted walker earlier this week.
Richard Stewart was riding his bike to work when he says a woman, who was lost in her phone, stepped out between two parked cars on Glen Drive and they nearly collided.
He then took to Facebook to sarcastically apologize to her and to call out anyone else who walks distracted. In the post he says, “My deep apologies for almost striking a careless, preoccupied, selfish, rude jaywalker.”
Stewart adds at the time of the incident he didn’t say anything. “I was so surprised at what had happened, but also at her very angry response as though the cyclist that she walked right in front of was at fault. But we do see it way too often.”
He says this type of problem has led to several deaths around the region with either pedestrians or drivers being distracted by technology. “The police report on a pedestrian death is something I never want to see another one of.”
Stewart adds people need to understand their priorities while walking or driving. “When you’re crossing a street it’s the most dangerous time as a pedestrian, perhaps you can put your phone down.”
A poll late last fall saw four in 10 Canadians admit to walking distracted.
Last year a Vancouver city councillor pushed for a distracted walking ban, which never took off.
