Pedestrian Careful to Stay 6 Feet From Anyone She Happens to Notice
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A local woman listening to music and staring at her phone gave a wide berth this morning to the handful of fellow pedestrians she was able to see or hear, Dumb Runner has learned.
Ginger Baker, 26, was walking from her apartment to a wine shop around 10 a.m. during the encounters. As usual, she was absorbed by her phone for the duration of the nine-block journey, glancing up from the screen only occasionally as she scrolled and typed, like a whale breaching for a breath of air.
During her brief trip, Baker passed 16 other people on sidewalks and in crosswalks, sources said, and seemed to notice four of them. The remaining 12 were forced to duck into doorways or venture into the street to maintain a safe distance from her.
Several of those people stared or even glared at Baker, who didn’t notice.
“Excuse me,” one elderly woman said as Baker approached.
Baker, who was listening to a podcast, did not respond.
Reached for comment, Baker told Dumb Runner, “I’m super-conscious of social distancing. I know it’s important to stay six feet away from others during these scary times.”
“Like this morning,” she said. “I saw a bunch of people on my walk, and gave each of them plenty of room.”
“We all have to do our part.”
Baker cut the interview short because, she said, her phone’s battery was almost dead.
