better than a sharp stick

I occasionally wonder if the people who build or maintain statistics on such things are aware of an increase in injuries caused by people walking into street-furniture since the dual advents of written messaging then mobile internet on portable telephones. People attaching bits of timber to their vans so that they protrude a good three feet beyond the rear limit of the van-body at eye-height probably don't help things, especially on streets where it's wise to look downwards at all times to watch out for piles of dogshit or missing cobbles even if not already distracted by a mobile handset. I've never been attacked by a static obstacle but have had a couple of near-misses from moving eye-height building-related dangers, usually the flapping sign things half-heartedly fastened to building site fences proclaiming that the constructors within are considerate or will attack trespassers with dogs.

I'd have to check but I think I might have had an entire hours' worth of lunch-walk today. How rare.