# Why you shouldn't text and walk. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 11, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450 "2012-04-11T09:40:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/1 "2012-04-11T09:40:03Z")
It’s unbearable. 😃 [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rna_MM3fsN0) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/2 "2012-04-11T12:17:10Z")
And he turns around and runs - isn’t that the worst thing you can do when you encounter a bear? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/3 "2012-04-11T12:20:11Z")
It’s a good thing Pepper Mill and I don’t live in California\* [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646137&highlight=Pepper+Mill](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646137&highlight=Pepper+Mill) \*I’m assuming that’s where this video takes place. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/4 "2012-04-11T12:22:32Z")
Well, in his defense, the bear didn’t run after him, so I guess turning and running worked well for him. Now had he been out in the woods and startled a bear who then got angry with him and was in attack mode, then, no, running is supposed to be Not Good. But in your own driveway? He really didn’t have time to think through all the Worst Case Scenario books before his flight response took hold. And it worked. So…let’s see you hold your ground against a bear! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/5 "2012-04-11T12:58:34Z")
dudz… wassup! lol im in my drvwy n hoping to hook up holy shit a fckin bear! ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/6 "2012-04-11T13:32:31Z")
That’s funny **TDN**. I’d have probably stood there and wet myself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/7 "2012-04-11T15:44:47Z")
I’d have shit myself so hard it would have blown me directly at the bear. And I’d be smelly and dead. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/8 "2012-04-11T16:01:47Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > And he turns around and runs - isn’t that the worst thing you can do when you encounter a bear? Eh, not really. The usual advice if you meet one in the woods is to back away slowly and look big (unless it’s a grizzly, then play dead), but my impression is that bears are usually pretty averse to humans and won’t attack unless they feel threatened, and they don’t usually have the prey drive to chase something just because it runs. In this case the bear was already very, very lost and confused, (and possibly investigating trash cans at the corner of the house?) so I’m not surprised that GTFO worked out okay. Don’t run from a large cat, though. I’m glad no-one got hurt. Hilarious video! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/9 "2012-04-11T16:52:05Z")
OMG gg bb\* \*Oh my God, gotta go, black bear! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/10 "2012-04-11T17:12:18Z")
_This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Tribune._ ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/11 "2012-04-11T17:12:58Z")
I can’t believe that there’s not a standard smiley for a black bear encounter. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/12 "2012-04-11T18:36:14Z")
Try this one: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmhvdtX72eQ) It worked when I just now checked it. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/13 "2012-04-11T22:08:52Z")
I think the bigger lesson is that you should beware of acting foolish when there is a news helicopter hovering over your head. ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/14 "2012-04-11T22:27:04Z")
Okay, what we gotta do is, figure out in which parts of the country people do the most texting, and release bears into the streets. I guarantee you instances of texting at in appropriate times would drop. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-you-shouldnt-text-and-walk/618450/15 "2012-04-11T22:35:57Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I think the bigger lesson is that you should beware of acting foolish when there is a news helicopter hovering over your head. In L.A., there are helicopters over your head much of the time, sometimes more than one. You might as well ignore 'em; they’re probably only spraying poison for Medflies, anyway. 🙂