Along with hoverboards and e-cigarettes, the selfie and its
sinister accessory - the selfie-stick - are facing a continuing backlash in the
media and officialdom. Ostensibly linked to safety concerns over the danger
posed by the sticks and the careless photographers wielding them, it appears
that accidents are particularly common at world heritage sites, based on a
string of incidents in recent months.
These include a Japanese tourist who died after slipping on
stairs while taking a selfie at the Taj Mahal's Royal Gate, and just this week
a Chilean tourist who was struck by a train in mid-selfie near Machu Picchu, the
world-renowned sanctuary of the Inca empire.
While thankfully the Chilean tourist survived the accident,
I have no doubt it is only a matter of days if not weeks before the next such
incident comes to light
To my mind the lesson is clear, and it has nothing to do
selfie-sticks: accidents are sure to happen whenever people are not paying
attention to their surroundings.
