I don't know if this is the right place to post this but here goes:

Teen Girl Falls in Open Manhole While Texting

I heard about this story, so I haven't clicked the link ... but I feel safe in saying it's ok to text and walk because you would only expect to fall into an open manhole cover if you were texting to Acme, Inc. in a Roadrunner cartoon.

Last week a teenager walked right off the curb into traffic, right in front of my car, while texting. She actually flipped me the bird and started yelling at me. Umm, my light was green honey. Maybe I should have just hit her huh?! ;)

Visa Fail
 

Today's pedestrians seem to feel entitled to cross the street whenever and wherever they choose, with no obligation to wait their turn.

Sounds like they think they've won the lawsuit lotto:
I'm pretty sure that a wide open hole is a pretty good warning in and of itself.

The fact that she was a dip does not imply the city is not a fault. (nor that it is).

I would certainly expect any open man holes to be clearly marked.


(And yes, I did have to submit your comment to quotes.)

Haha, I didn't see that coming (sorta like dip and her manhole, right?)

Yes, I'd expect it to be marked. However, marking it is a stop-gap measure to increase visibility. Essential on obstacles which are less visible (soap spill on a tile floor, for example), and helpful on obvious but more dangerous obstacles such as an open hole in the ground. And it still requires the person to notice it. Had it been coned and she walked into it anyway, you'd be hearing her angry it wasn't taped off.

Yet, surprisingly, the human race managed to survive prior to the invention of the orange cone.