Open manhole almost makes Darwin Award winner

Another solipsistic, gadget-absorbed young American almost got killed by her self-absorption.

New York City 15-year-old Alexa Longueira fell in an open manhole while cell-phone texting and walking. She, of course, blames only the city of New York.

"Regardless of whether I'm texting or not if there was a cone there I'm going to see a big orange cone," she said. "I walk that sidewalk every day, I don't expect a big hole there.”

Wrong. I’ll allow your young age to excuse you from any knowledge of cognitive science, etc. But, of course, in reality, we drive and walk familiar routes on autopilot all the time, even without such added distractions. The only reason you haven’t walked into another person is (unless you have already) they’ve been alert enough to avoid you. Of course, Ms. Longueira is likely to do the same thing while driving in a few years.