The next time you decide the take a selfie in Mumbai, ask around first, because you may just be standing in the middle of a ‘no selfie zone’. Considering that around 19 of the 49 deaths while taking selfies, since 2014, have occurred in India and coinciding with the death of a 18 year old student who fell to his death near a dam, the Mumbai police have declared 16 ‘no selfie zones’ in the city. If you are caught taking a selfie in any of these zones, you will have to pay a Rs 1,200 fine.
The selfie craze has gone to astronomical heights, with selfie sticks available in different colours and decorative designs and one will see teenagers, and many adults too, taking selfies everywhere you look. The more beautiful the vista, the better the selfie. But that has certainly led to many deaths, since the tendency to turn your back to the scenery, often on the precipice of a cliff or structure, has led to many falling to their deaths. Recently, three teenagers tried to take a selfie in front of a speeding train.
It’s easy to see that this craze will not die down, despite the deaths that take place. So, perhaps it makes more sense to come up with ‘no selfie zones’ and other rules to regulate this trend, in the hope that no more posers lose their lives in the quest for the best photograph in the world.
