Drivers And Cell Phone Rant!

[Cobroller]

I watched a gal back out of a parking place recently. She had her cell phone tucked between her shoulder and ear. She has a cup of coffee in her right hand and was trying to back out with her left. Of course with the phone cradled against her ear, she couldn't look behind her or in the rear view mirror.

She backed out in front of me, I hit the brakes and the horn. Didn't phase her a bit.

While waiting to make a left turn Thursday, was able to verify that the lady approaching me was talking on the cell phone with her left hand and driving with her right wrist on top of the wheel while holding a cigarette. This at an intersection that averages three wrecks per week.

I have been known to scare myself when I realize that I am past the RR tracks, traffic light, stop sign, or turned out onto the highway and don't remember doing it-- sometimes I have even been talking on the cell phone.

Be careful on the road. I drive too.

 

[tacreload]

Every morning about 6:45 am I get on the highway to get to work.Speed limit is 50.I'm in no hurry to get to work and I'm old so the speed limit is where I'm at.Every morning just about the same time the same sweet little honey in a Mazda 6 comes up on my rear bumper cell phone to her ear rides my back bumper for about a 1/2 mile before whipping around me at the speed of light.She disappears and then when I get to the first red light,there she is still on the stinkin' phone.I then follow her all the way to town(2 Miles) no passing and she's still on the phone.What the hell can be so important at 6:45 am every day.She is totally oblivious to everything around her and doesn't even realize that when she passes me at roughly 70 that she gains nothing cause she's always at the light when I get there.Too busy on the phone I guess to pay attention to what's going on.

 

[JcMack]

My next door neighbor and his wife had a '06 Chevy HHR. At 56K miles on the car and out of warranty last March the HHR threw a rod and Chevy would not help. They had a relative who's a mechanic, replace the engine with a used one for$2500. Wisely I thought they traded that car for a new 2012 Equinox. Got a pretty good deal and wound up with a vehicle with every option known to man. They are both retired and really proud of that car. Every day about 7 a.m. the guy goes to dunkin donuts and gets his wife some junk she likes to drink. Monday a guy headed for his white collar job was texting work, ran a stop sign and ran into my neighbor in his Equinox with 3700 miles on it. The neighbor was O.K. but vehicle is a goner. They're now fighting insurance co. to total it rather than repair it.

 

[valencman]

I,ve always wanted to put a bumper sticker on my car that reads: "HANG UP THE D**N PHONE AND DRIVE !!!!"

 

[DeathGrip]

I,ve always wanted to put a bumper sticker on my car that reads: "HANG UP THE D**N PHONE AND DRIVE !!!!"

I know a guy that has that in the back window of his truck. I told him that the phoneys are too busy to read. About a month later he got rear ended.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

Add me to the list of persons who has had a car totaled by being rear-ended by a teenager on the phone. Hard enough that the drivers' seat back broke, and I was staring up at the dome light with the seat fully laid back.

I was in a Datsun B210 and he was in his Mom's full-sized Blazer. It went completely over the bumper and right through the hatchback. After that, I stopped getting little Japanese cars, no matter how cheaply I could get one.

Distracted driving doesn't just mean cell phones. Had another car totaled while parked on the street in front of the house by a teenager in his Dad's Buick wagon. No cell phone, but 5 teenagers in the car and he turned to talk to someone in the back, turned the wheel at the same time, and shoved my car 25 feet even with the parking brake on. Cops measured the skid marks. I guess on the bright side, if my car hadn't been parked there he would have piled into a big tree and probably got hurt way worse. I'd rather have a totaled car than a dead teenager in my front yard. Cars are replaceable.

 

[tops]

I worked for a utility company so I spent many days on the side of the road and in the air where I could see in cars. It is unreal the people that are reading while driving. I agree with CajunBass that there is not any need to pass more laws. Just charge them with reckless driving. The company I worked for furnished us phones so they could keep in touch but we had to stop the truck before we could use the phone. Larry

 

[snubbyfan]

Way out here in the mountains of West Virginia we don't have cell phone service. We don't have a bunch of people walking and driving around with those damn cell phones.
We came down out of the mountains today to the DC suburbs to attend our nieces 4th birthday party. After we got to Va. we saw people swerving around texting and talking on their cell phones. Tailgating and just being a hazard to themselves and others.
It got me to thinking, if there's this many licensed drivers who have no idea how to drive, how many licensed ccw holders have no idea how to handle a firearm?

 

[leswad]

Should cops be able to type and drive?

 

[LVSteve]

Should cops be able to type and drive?

At first glance I would say no, but the consequence is that all cars have to be double manned. This either halves the amount of coverage or vastly increases my local taxes. Choose your poison.

 

[Herknav]

As far as I know, PA has passed a law which prohibits texting while driving. My question is how many people will have to be hurt, maimed, or killed until they outlaw cell phone use completely while driving?

Glad you're OK, Reb. However, I have to ask what makes you think prohibition of cell phone use will go better than any other type of prohibition has gone in this country?

 

[labworm]

Up in Massachusetts you would be lucky finding people not on cell phones or texting in their vehicles.

I feel for all you guys on 2 wheels and many times will ride about 6 car lengths to your rear, feel as though I am providing a little protection. Rode myself, but that was many years ago.

I would like to see a $1000.00 fine issued for first time offenders and loss of license for 1 year for the 2nd. Terrible the way I think.

Thank God you made it out of that mess.

 

[photoman]

Glad you're OK, Reb. However, I have to ask what makes you think prohibition of cell phone use will go better than any other type of prohibition has gone in this country?

Good point. We shouldn't call for prohibition of undesired behavior. We should call for extreme punishment if that undesired behavior leads to the harm of self or others.

 

[26Ford]

PA, I'm glad to hear that you are OK, and the Harley as well. LOL not in any particular order as I always ask about my bike first.

I'd like to make 2 points here, first is distractions- they come in many many different variety's and sadly not just from cell phones. Think about that for just a minute. Every time you hit the starter button, all of the hundreds of different distractions that can end our lives in an instant especially when on 2 wheels. Here in Florida us bikers also have to contend with the elderly who are distracted and on cell phones as well. I left my home the other morning not 2 blocks and this old grey haired woman is on my bumber so close I could count her nose hairs, and she is on the cell phone- late for Bingo granny? Get off my bumper!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other thing I would like to say, is that having riden and racing motorcycles for over 40 years now- please remember you don't feel the pain at the time of the accident. 1000 emotions take over, and the last of which is sometimes the pain. Always think and consider how you will feel tomorrow especially when on 2 wheels. I'm not promoting law suits here, but awareness of motorcycle accidents and how your body and mind might react to them regardless of how minor they might seem at the moment.

RIDE-SAFE!!!!

 

[Arik]

I think that law is only when you get pulled over for something else like running a stop and talking on the phone. I used to ride a motorcycle too. People just dont see you ive kicked plenty of doors and fenders because people were about to run me over.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[gregintenn]

Should cops be able to type and drive?

I don't know about typing, but I see LEO's in police vehicles on cell phones at about the same rate as other drivers.

 

[Alpo]

In 1974 I got a CB radio in my car. In 1992 some lowlife broke my truck window and took my toolbox and my CB radio. In those 18 years I had that CB in three different vehicles, drove 'em all over 6 different states, and never had an accident because of talking on it. Everybody and his little brother had a CB in the car and was ratchetjawing in the late 70s -early 80s. I never heard of anyone causing an accident by talking on the radio.

Yet I keep hearing about all these people having accidents while talking on the cell.

Why is that? Could it be that it is NOT the cell phone that is the problem? Could it possibly be that the problem is the morons driving now? The people that you rant about all the time. The cashiers that can't make change. The people that can't add 2 and 2 without a calculator.

So, if the problem is (as I am certain it is) the morons amongst us, outlawing the use of cells won't do anything. Except to pass another stupid law. We've probably got enough stupid laws.

 

[tops]

It got me to thinking, if there's this many licensed drivers who have no idea how to drive, how many licensed ccw holders have no idea how to handle a firearm?

Judging by some of the questions asked and statements made I would say it's a bunch. Larry

 

[EQGuy]

Back in 1986 I was at work and listening to the morning news on KGO radio when I heard that my landlord and his wife were killed along with two friends of theirs. They had been riding their bicycles west of Gilroy along Highway 152. An 18 or so year old woman was driving I believe a Ford Bronco and reached for a cassette tape when she drifted on to the shoulder of the road and ran over all four bicyclists. She was friends of another young woman that was the daughter of a local winery owner and she had borrowed the Bronco that was owned by the winery. My landlords had no children but the other couple did and their children sued the driver who had no money and the winery. I believe the winery had to go out of business because of the lawsuit even though they claimed the young woman borrowed the Bronco without their permission.

About 10 years ago I was returning home after my first outpatient surgery. My wife was driving her VW Bug and I was in the passenger seat feeling pretty miserable when the driver in the next lane tried to occupy the space we were in. He of course was on the cell phone and completely unaware of what he had just done. Fortunately my wife was on her toes and was able to get out of his way by swerving into the left hand turn lane. If I am driving and my cell phone rings I either pull over or let it ring. If it is an important call they will leave a message.

 

[MP22]

You don't really believe people with stop texting and talking because of a "LAW" being passed do you? Let's see...how did I that work with drinking and driving.....? Yeah....not gonna happen. Glad you were not seriously hurt.