Sidewalks divided into "no phone" and "phone-only" lanes have made their way from Washington D.C. to the Chinese city of Chongqing.
"There are lots of elderly people and children in our street, and walking with your cellphone may cause unnecessary collisions here," Nong Cheng, the marketing official with Meixin Group who helped set up the stretch,
told The Associated Press.
Nong said that the roughly 150-foot stretch of pavement was not meant to be taken literally, but rather was part of a general awareness campaign about walking while using a smartphone. The lane designated for smartphone users reminds pedestrians that they walk and text at their "own risk."
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She said that, so far, the campaign has been a hit, with many stopping to discuss the art-like installation, and, maybe somewhat ironically, take pictures of it with their smartphones. The message may not be reaching those who need to hear it the most, however.
"Those using their cellphones of course have not heeded the markings on the pavement," she said. "They don't notice them."
Nong said that the idea came from a similar experiment created by National Geographic TV in Washington D.C. this past July. The American experiment was said to be part of a new series called "Mind Over Masses."
Spokesman Chad Sandhas declined to discuss the details of the experiment with inquiring reporters
from The Associated Press, however the city's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development said the science series "uses what we know about human behavior" to develop "interactive solutions to everyday problems."
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