San Diego police officers were given a bizarre reminder this week that we're' living in the future, and the department used video of the moment as a warning that people need to be aware of their real-world environment as well as their virtual surroundings.
The strange encounter happened Monday as San Diego police officers were making an arrest in an intersection when resident Vlad Kislov crossed the street in front of them, according to NBC News. The arrest, however, took a back seat as the officers stopped what they were doing and watched Ciccone apparently accessing a virtual menu through his Apple Vision Pro augmented reality headset.
The video was shot by event producer Michael Ciccone and posted on San Diego Humor's Instagram feed this week. And while the footage has earned viral status, the San Diego Police Department has decided to use it as a 21st century teachable moment.
"A video making its rounds online shows our patrol team in Central Division 'face-to-face' with the future — a pedestrian donning the latest Apple Vision Pro headset while walking in the street downtown," the department stated in its own Instagram post.
"It was a sight that had us pausing in bewilderment," the agency added. "While we’re all for exploring new dimensions and technology, let’s remember the importance of pedestrian safety. Keep those virtual experiences on the sidewalk, folks, and let’s cross streets the old-fashioned way — with our eyes wide open to the real world, unobstructed and without distractions!"
And just what exactly was Kislov interacting with while wearing his headset? A follow-up video posted on San Diego Humor shows him flipping through a virtual music menu overlaid on someone's real-world arrest.
