Be honest. How many phone screens have you smashed, tottering into a lamp post tweeting about a night out? Ever made a trip to the walk-in after a spot of Instagram related concussion? Or maybe you’ve twisted an ankle, liking holiday snaps and tripping into a pothole? Texting injuries happen to us all but, thankfully, Belgium have come to our rescue.
That’s right, the country that invented the waffle (thank the Lord) have solved the eternal dilemma of how to avoid colliding with a stranger whilst tweeting about your latest ASOS purchase. Antwerp have installed Europe’s very first texting lane.
Marked ‘texting lane only’, these lifesavers are meant to keep you safe whilst browsing the shops and Whatsapping your mum. Not to mention easing the strain on non texters, who just want to make it home in time to watch Corrie. Even a well-seasoned textwalker has to admit their speed is more Monday morning trudge than Friday evening skip home.
Plus, let’s face it, anything that stops us attempting the face down road cross can only be a good thing.
It’s international web company, Mlab, who are saving the hundreds of smart phones that suffer each day when they’re rammed into fellow commuters. Though the lanes are temporary at the moment, city officials say they might make the strips permanent if they’re successful.
So how do we make these babies even better? Buffering lanes for YouTube enthusiasts? Fast lanes for Snapchatters? Replacing cobblestones with baby soft tarmac to ease the pressure on heeled tweeters? Or how about setting up a few studio street lights to aid us in our quest for the perfect Instagram selfie?
The more pressing question now is, how do we get them over to the UK?
By Jess Howard