The Popcorn Stand: It’s not exactly Tombstone

In a sign of the times in the 19th century in the Old West, when watching Westerns anyway, it was all about the fastest gun in the West.

Now in the 21st century it’s all about the fastest text in the world.

There’s an event going on in France right now which is determining who has the fastest text in the world. I don’t think, though, this is going to turn into the 21st century version of Tombstone. Textstone?

I mean I can’t see a Doc Holiday-type coming into the room with his phone saying, “I’m your huckleberry.” Or when someone fails to break the record I don’t see somebody saying “you ain’t no daisy.”

Or a determined Wyatt Earp type coming into the room yelling “Hell’s coming with me. Hell’s coming with me.”

But we could have our next Olympic sport, fast texting, as Rosie Baldwin currently holds the world record of texting the alphabet in 7.44 seconds.

A fleet-fingered attendee at an event in France broke a Guinness World Record by texting the alphabet in only 7.44 seconds.

But any fast-fingered challengers to Baldwin have until today to break her record. So unlike those in the Old West who practiced their craft by shooting bottles off some fence from a far away distance, I can see Baldwin’s challengers huddled up somewhere limbering up their fingers believing they’re more than ready for the challenge.

It’s the 21st century so someday maybe the fast texting competition will come to Tombstone.

— Charles Whisnand