Forum: Xi’an paints special walkway for phone addicts

A special lane painted on a sidewalk in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, dedicated to smartphone addicts has caused a stir online. The 1-meter-wide, 100-meter-long track is painted in red, blue, and green, with pictures of mobile phones and the words “Special walkway for phubbers” in Chinese. “Phubbers” is a new word coined to describe people who stare at their phone and ignore anyone or anything else around them. Some people support the lane saying it is a good way to remind people to put their phones away and pay attention to their surroundings for their own safety and that of others. But critics have questioned its effectiveness, saying those who looking at their phones while walking will not notice the pathway.