An increasingly common experience on the sidewalks of NYC: I’m walking along minding my own business when I notice a pedestrian, absorbed in his/her smartphone, heading directly toward me. The distance between us closes and the pedestrian shows no signs of changing course or acknowledging my presence, so I prepare to take evasive action. Then, at the last possible second, the pedestrian glances up and steps quickly to the side – as one would to evade an obstacle like a bush or a signpost. The collision is averted, but I’m left shaken and despairing at the lack of regard for shared public space.