Sometimes when I'm walking down crowded campus streets I will purposefully not cede my way to somebody coming at me in the opposite direction. I'd consider it an exercise in standing up for oneself. While it is polite to cede to others, there are plenty cases where its is not the optimal course of action. For instance when your contender is walking on the wrong side of the path, or shows no intent to cede to you, or looks at you funny. Stand up for yourself! So long as you are walking on the right side of the path, of course, as standard etiquette states. (Left side if you're British, though, I think.)
Adding to the list of people to whom you should not cede your constitutional right of way are those who decide that whatever they're doing on their cell phone is more important than keeping a wary eye on where they are going. I do not wish to take the effort, as small as it might be, to give you space if your being in my way is a result of your poking away at your cellular device rather than taking in the wonderful sights of the real world, such as that cool squirrel with the mutilated tail.
Speaking of mobile phone use, it seems to be all anybody wants to do on the bus. I strive to be doing anything else during my commutes, as I am not a fan of portable phone use.* It always feels rather odd to be the only person not looking at a rectangle. That isn't to say I'm not the only one; there are plenty of other readers and dozers on the bus, but the phone users are exceedingly prominent.
It truly is terrible character balance. A snapshot of the usual back of the bus simply won't be interesting 8 times out of 10, as nigh everybody in frame will be doing the same thing. (And I will be dozing off in the back corner; I've been staying up late too often lately.) I'd reckon today's modern commuter might find it odd if, say, everybody in the bus happened to at the same time be reading. But for everybody to be on their phone is perfectly normal. It's been quantized, as they say.
Of course, I shouldn't harp on too heavily about my distaste for the ambulatory phone. I'd been informed, rather crudely, by a friend that this will garner animosity. In other words, I am literally in Yevgeny Zamyatin's 1984.** Though I will admit, to rattle on too much will merely result in others tuning my words out and not listening.
Not that people are not not listening nowadays anyway, no doubt thanks in part to the technological marvel that are wireless earbuds. I for one have never liked those things. They make it much too easy to have a constant stream of noise played into your head. Silence is important; it helps you think. In a world where thinking is already on the decrease, these things aren't helping. They also aren't helping you hear the "excuse me" of somebody trying to get past you and out the bus doors, nor are they helping you pay attention in class, nor do I think they are particularly stylish.
For nigh everybody to be wearing earphones, wireless or otherwise, is also helping to foster a more disconnected world. Strangers will remain strangers, rather than becoming "that interesting stranger I chatted with or had a nice interaction with on the bus." For those who wish to be disconnected this is an upside. That chatty guy on the bus will become "that guy who for all I know, thanks to the latest in noise-cancelling technology, may have just been mouthing words."
But for everybody to be so disconnected in the real is an overall negative, I'd reckon. Nice interactions with strangers tend to make my day, and neutral or negative interactions at least make my day more interesting, and often leave me somewhat more knowledgable about my fellow people than before. I don't wish to relinquish my ability to trigger random events, even if it would mean I'd get to pick the soundtrack. (And, as is customary for any internet user, I believe my taste in music to be wholeheartedly better than yours, and therefore my decision not to listen to tunes on the bus is truly the most resolute of sacrifices.)
Worst case scenario, disconnectedness results in paranoia, untrustingness, and the like. You will recede into your own little world, and wield less power in the real. You will recede and become more likely to cede to those who wield power over you, just like in George Orwell's Fahrenheit 451. Ideally you would also become more likely to cede to the people whose way you are obstructing by walking on the wrong side of the path, but it is absolutely pertinent you check those text messages immediately, and while you're at it scroll through your feed a little bit.***
Sorry for becoming rather condescending there. I wasn't really talking about you, there. I was talking to and about the person who happens to be standing behind you. Ideally.
Of course, I preach all this but I'm no epitome myself. I already can be rather paranoid and untrusting myself, and too often find I myself ceding in regards to matters such as inconsiderate fellows who will play audio on their cell phone aloud in transit. (Have cheap wired earbuds become less cheap throughout my prolonged absence from the cheap wired earbud store? My current pair has lasted a good long while.) I've also typed a sizeable chunk of this post whilst wearing (wired) earbuds myself, alone at a table in another faculty's student lounge, but that's a completely different scenario from commute. It is pertinent I never interact with the others who frequent this lounge, lest they realize I am not of their caste and promptly have me burnt at the stake. Though I will eavesdrop on the occasional interesting-sounding conversation.
Anyway, as #introvert (as the kids say) as I already am, I reckon it'd be the straw that breaks the camel's back if I became more accustomed to regular use of my itinerant phone. As it stands I am happy that its primary purpose is to have a cute sparkly case and display a cute unstuck sticker. Anybody with an ounce of respect for themselves should make that the primary purpose of theirs as well.
Oh, I just remembered one of the main points of this post. I wanted to mention that what with people taking calls via their wireless earbuds nowadays, if you're wearing the things or have your ears covered by your hair or a hat you could probably just start talking to yourself in public and everybody would assume you're on a call with somebody. I say "probably" since I have not yet tried this myself, though have most definitely considered it as a way to make a crowded bus ride more interesting.
Speaking of making things more interesting, it totally would have made waiting for that tremendously late bus the other week more interesting for myself and the others at the stop if I'd looked up to a nearby tall building and shouted "NO! DON'T JUMP!" Whether they'd even hear my utterance would be a gamble, however, as nearly everybody was wearing earphones/buds.
In any cute sparkly case, this has been a public service announcement by Not Billison. I hope I didn't put you off via condescension that I reckon was for comedic effect, and that you will not respond to this post with rebellion****, by actively deciding to double-down on moveable phone use, or by tracking me down and getting in my way on the campus streets, or by tracking me down and killing me. I will remain hopeful of this but as a precaution will remain paranoid and untrusting.
What're you looking at, punk?
*I must admit I've made exceptions, on a blue moon or two, for the sake of catching up on some digital readings.
**Though on the topic of 1984, would The Party's telescreens not have been so much better implemented if citizens voluntarily carried around their own personal copies of the apparatus?
***Judging by the side of the path this hypothetical "you" is walking on, "you"'s feed is no doubt saturated by a number of British influencers.
****And not the cool, Capitalized kind that's getting a follow-up in Winter of 2024.