Friday, June 17, 2005

Death by Cellphone

You're sitting in a movie theatre and suddenly a cellphone somewhere nearby goes rrrrring! What's more the receiver invariably picks up and starts yakking. I sometimes have this urge to ask: "Is it a matter of life and death?"

Wish poor Prabir De had stopped to consider that question, before picking up his cellphone.

Mumbai Mirror reports that Prabir, a celeb make up artist (who's worked on the likes of Bipasha Basu, Koena Mitra etc) was on a photoshoot on the outskirts of Kolkata. On a whim, they decide to shoot on some railway tracks.

At some point De's cellphone rang and he took the call. Meanwhile, a train loomed in sight... Friends and onlookers yelled, but De was too involved in the conversation. And the worst happened.

What is this fascination filmakers/ photographers have with trains? Last year, 27 year old British national Nadia Khan - an assistant director with Kaizad Gustad - died after being hit by a train near Mahalaxmi. She too was reportedly speaking on her cellphone.

There's been a lot of speculation on the long term effect of cellphone use (radiation being linked to brain tumours etc). But the short term effect is no less dangerous. The cellphone is a medium which appears to not only distract but suspend common sense.

What else can explain such 'freak accidents'?

8 comments:

  1. A nice piece, too short. cud have been a bit longer..cheers
    Nikhil

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  2. Anonymous3:09 PM

    Its just coincidence, that this happened, when one's time is up, it will happen. Theres no reason to blame on cellphones for this, though I am agreeing with the consequences. But everything has its limitations and -ve spots.

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  3. Blame it on the trains rather than the cellphone...

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  4. hi Rashmi,
    love your blog and, of course, love JAM too.
    What you say about Cell phones is very pertinent. Quite a few road accidents are caused because the driver prefers to yak on his/her phone instaed of concentrating on the road. Yesterday I put up a post on my blog that discussed a study about Why Cell Phones are so Dangerous for Driving?

    Please continue posting -- excellent and thought provoking reading.

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  5. Read somewhere that using handsfree can help reduce the radiation (needless to say that the cellphone should be slightly away from the body).

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  6. Anonymous6:08 PM

    Dear Rashmi,

    Yes. cell phones are a menace in many aspects. Almost every month there is some or the other incident reported of ppl who had an accident coz they were talking over their cell phones while driving/walking or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But then technology will only take us forward and there will be newer such toys within our reach. The onus it upon us to restric the usage of such tech toys and limit its usage only till necessity and not make it a bane of life or a fashion statement or such crap...In the fast moving world that we live in, being in touch 25/8 is important or you stand to lose "that very important information which is with everybody by the time you get to hear of it"...but then one has to find ways of limiting the dangers associated with TT (read tech toys, like the usage of handsfree etc...lots is available to us thanks to fast advancing technolgy but it is solely on us to let it all give us a new life or be sentenced to death.

    sorry for such a long post.

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  7. In a movie when a cellphone rings you ignore it the first instance. but then the user has the nerve to actually pick it up and answer the callers questions: Which movie? Where? With whom? and of course how is the damn movie? ..... and this gets on my nerves.

    If the phone rings fine (I know you are dumb enough not to disover something called a "Silent" mode on your cell.) But at least don't take care CALL!

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  8. Anonymous10:41 AM

    I missed a key moment of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" because the lady in front of me answered a call. And when I saw "Pirates of the Carribean" the woman behind us wasn't paying attention to the movie or her noisy kids cause she was yakkin' on her phone. Drives me mad.

    I see so many accidents on the road where someone was holding a cell phone and making a sharp turn with one hand and lost control of the car that I absolutely despise people who drive with them, unless they have a headset or something. But yes, cells can be dangerous. And downright obnoxious.

    I also hate people who talk on their phones in public restroom stalls. That's just gross. I make it a point to flush the toilet just so the person on the other end knows that the caller is in the bathroom.

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