We’ve covered the dangers of selfie accidents before. There was the guy who looked likely to lose his hand because of his rattlesnake selfie. The woman who thought it would be a great idea to pose in a mosh pit. The poor, dying turtles. And on, and on. The sum of the data is this: selfies seem to be moving from vain preoccupation to dangerous obsession—emphasis on “dangerous.”
In Mumbai, police are at least trying to curb that danger, by identifying selfie-free zones. The measure was prompted by a tragedy that took place last weekend. After three women fell off rocks and into the Arabian Sea while snapping shots of themselves, a passerby, Ramesh Walanju, jumped in to save them. Two of the women, Anjum Khan and Masturi Khan, were saved—the other, Terrarium Ansari, disappeared.
Walanju was washed away by the water and died.
“After the unfortunate incident we have decided to identify 16 spots where taking selfies can be dangerous but we may add more,” deputy commissioner Dhananjay Kulkarni told AFP. “We have written to the municipal corporation to put some warning signs up at such points. We also want them to deploy some lifeguards also.”
Among the spots: the famous Marine Drive, as well as Chowpatty Beach.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAcqiHUprC3/
Violators won’t be fined. But they will be reprimanded by police patrolling the areas, who, according to Kulkarni, have been briefed to warn people against taking selfies.
