Smartphone zombies - a Smartphone zombie is a person that wanders slowly, obvious to their surroundings and thus often causing accidents. (Photo by Ed... Smartphone zombies - a Smartphone zombie is a person that wanders slowly, obvious to their surroundings and thus often causing accidents. (Photo by Edwin Lee on flickr)

Taipei -- A woman who accidentally fell onto the rails at the Kunyang MRT station in Taipei while wondering and staring at her smart phone on Thursday has been fined NT$1,500 (US$ 47) for violation of public transit law.



Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (TRTC) said the woman, surnamed Liao, was ambling along the platform with her head bowed as she was engrossed in swiping her smart phone, when she inadvertently crossed the yellow safety line and tumbled on onto the rails.

Such aimless wandering by people with smartphones has become so commonplace worldwide that it has spurred the creation of a new word to describe this phenomenon - "smartphone zombies." It has become a global pandemic with needless accidents, injuries and even deaths caused by this zombie horde, that fines and legislation are being considered by governments around the world.

In this case, it took station staff and nearby passengers about three minutes to pluck her off the tracks, the TRTC said.

The 41-year-old woman suffered minor abrasions, according to EMTs on the scene, and declined to be taken to the hospital, instead choosing to take a seat for while to calm her nerves.



Feeling immensely embarrassed and remorseful, Liao apologized to police officers. She told UDN reporters that as she was waiting to take a train to the Nangang Exhibition Hall, she decided to scroll through her phone to pass the time, but suddenly took one step too far. "I'm really embarrassed, I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, I'm promise not to do this again," she said.

For her actions, he has been fined NT$1,500 under the Mass Rapid Transit Act for not paying attention to her surroundings and causing a three-minute disruption of train service due to her fall and subsequent rescue effort, the TRTC said.

The Mass Transit Law stipulates that non-mass transit system vehicles or personnel may not enter the system routes, bridges, tunnels, culverts and other non-public spaces in the station area. Whether these acts are committed intentionally or by accident, offenders may receive fines from NT$1,500 to NT$7,500.

Just a few days previously, on Dec. 12, a woman suddenly became ill and fell off the platform at the Jingmei MRT station. Over the past year, there have been seven similar incidents of passengers falling onto the tracks at various MRT stations due to stumbling, dizziness, distractions, and other causes.

The TRTC said that out of 100 stations, there are 23 that have yet to install platform safety doors to prevent such incidents. The company said that it will use off hours to finish adding the remaining platform barriers, with full implementation to be completed by 2018. Stations that are not yet equipped with platform doors have infrared detectors, radar sensors, safety lines and other equipment to ensure the safety of passengers.