I must admit when I text I use punctuation and paragraphs, I also send long chatty texts . A friend in her 70s sends me texts like a teenager with letters for abbreviation for words and half the time I’ve no idea what shes saying
Anyway I’m keeping an eye on myself next time I’m out to see if I stop in the middle of pavement when I get a text
I am guilty of being an oldun. I often get messages when out with the dog, so I stop to read, she looks up at me, and I might type a short reply ‘out with dog, write more later.’ All done with one finger! I just can’t do it with both thumbs. Tried, just can’t.
At least the “oldie” method of texting is a better survival strategy!
It’s less risky because it avoids bumping into people or walking in front of cars while you are busy looking at your phone instead of what’s around you!
The youngsters may continue to walk whilst reading or writing texts but if you’ve ever been walking behind them, you notice them gradually slowing their pace as they are focusing on what they read and reply.
Many a time, I’ve had to slow right down behind a dawdling Texter or overtake them on the pavement - or dodge an unaware Texter heading straight for me!
If I need to use my phone while I’m out, I do the “oldie” thing of stopping to focus on it - but at least I move to the side to get out of other people’s way.
I do that. I usually sit down to do it also. Never have my phone out, unless my daughter & I are at a car boot & I want to know where she is, I hate loosing her, when out. 
On the pavement! erm … best place to be for oldies.
Not when cyclists are allowed to share the pavement!
Went out to dinner at a good restaurant last week .Near table to us was an older couple with their adult daughter . All three were on their phones the entire time barely said a word only to order .Another thing is no one complains about children in restaurants anymore , they all sit silent as the lambs glued to their phones.
The way some people walk around with their mobile on full display just waiting for some ‘no-good’ to snatch and run off with. Mobiles can cost from about £200 up to £1,000, the police advise not to have a mobile on display but still there are hundreds of people to be seen on any high street doing just that!
It’s beyond me, I often wonder if insurance companies pay out in these cases if the worst happens?
and that’s a good restaurant!
I guess they were avoiding one another and though mobiles an acceptable distraction.
'tis grim up north
Yes, no doubt that’s true. I don’t expect mobile phone use differs much across the country. Other than deprived areas where there are very poor people living, even so some of them manage to drink, smoke and have mobile phones.
I agree with that, Baz, same as I see no end of people walking about with half their phone sticking out the back pocket of their jeans.
What as that got to do with anything. I live in a so-called "deprived area I smoke,drink and I have a mobile but I don’t go around go around nicking things as you are inferring
@wishbone I was NOT inferring that people in deprived areas ‘go around nicking things’. What I actually wrote was and I quote “even so some of them manage to drink, smoke and have mobile phones.”
The emphasis was on owning mobile phones and nothing whatsoever about anyone ‘nicking things’.
well it certainly sounded like that to me.
Oh and another thing that happens to me is when I’m watching TV and I hear the beep beep of a phone or the ring ring I get off the sofa pick up my phone only to find it’s the mobile on the TV .
So many sound alike .
Doh !
Sorry you took it that way, I don’t believe I could have been any more explicit as to what was meant. Nowhere did I mention anything about poor people living in deprived areas ‘nicking things’. That is something I would not do anyway, there would be no reason for me to state that in the context of mobile phone use.
OK lets just forget it then
If people have trouble typing an SMS why not use speech to text?
i love messaging no rush to answer and can check you dont say wrong thing im a fan of it
