I nearly klapped a cellphone zombie. Then I grew up

I HAVE been predicting it, warning about it, and raising the alarm for years - and now the inevitable has happened.

- GREYMUTTER BY LANCE FREDERICKS

This past week, due to someone using a cellphone and not concentrating on traffic, there was a near-fatal accident in one of our mall's parking areas.

I say "near fatal" because I was tempted to leap out of my car and 'klap and trap' the offending cellphone zombie to death, but quickly realised that he'd probably klap me right back. Besides, his apologetic smile was so disarming, all I could do was smile back and wave.

What happened? I was exiting the mall's parking area, when this young pedestrian, absorbed in his doomscrolling, walked slap-bang into the side of my moving car.

I rehearsed my court defence as I mulled over delivering the klap I believed he deserved. "He bumped into me, your honour, it was not a vehicular assault. In fact it was he who assaulted my vehicle!"

However, I don't know if I am finally maturing or if it's my regular Bible studies, but though seeing drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians moving around with their eyes glued to the tiny screen in their hand frustrates the varnish off my nerves, I am learning to pause, breathe, look away from what's irritating me, and turn my focus to something brighter.