bills_fan Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 You seem to be forgetting that driving is a privilege, not a right. No, not really. But I see no reason for involvement by the Federal government in whether a driver is talking/texting on a cell phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 You seem to be forgetting that driving is a privilege, not a right. Yeah. So's television and health care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I choose to follow the law and wear my seatbelt all the time because I prefer not to die unless absolutely necessary. Congrats on avoiding seatbelt tickets, though. I agree. I wear them 99% of the time... The times I forgot happened to be the times I got nabbed for going over. Any conincidence there? Most likely, I was in a rush! Yet, my facilites where there not to take the double ticket. Like I said... Stuf like this is so hard to enforce if you really want to get away with it. How are they going to change people? Same thing with "seeing" motorcycles... Some people just don't see them til it is too late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 For me it's while hands free. I know this for a fact for me. Very rarely do I make a mistake talking to someone in the car as opposed to the few times I've come close to missing an exit while hands free. My theory is that you tend to concentrate more while talking to someone you can't see. I spend a lot of time training phone skills and your brain working harder trying to be "with" that person on the phone than the person next to you. Along the lines of trying to visualize the other person and what they're saying, and I would suppose there's a part of of our brain that is devoted to deciphering "body language" and other non-lingual cues when we can't see the other person. You don't have to visualize someone who's right there in the car. No, not really. But I see no reason for involvement by the Federal government in whether a driver is talking/texting on a cell phone. Well, this was only a scientific study on the issue, and the suppression of it, conducted by the Nat'l Highway agency. But, it is a valid point. It would be best for states to enact their own laws. But the salient fact of this story was that US Congresscritters pressured the dept to not release the study's findings to the states. Seems odd that info would be intentionally withheld that would give said states something to base policy on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Well, this was only a scientific study on the issue, and the suppression of it, That's what I love most about this issue. "The government suppressed a study proving that people should pay attention wihle driving." We need a government study to tell us that? It's called COMMON !@#$ING SENSE!!!!! How the hell is the government "suppressing" common !@#$ing sense????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 That's what I love most about this issue. "The government suppressed a study proving that people should pay attention wihle driving." We need a government study to tell us that? It's called COMMON !@#$ING SENSE!!!!! How the hell is the government "suppressing" common !@#$ing sense????? It is useful for quantifiable numbers. It's one thing to say that "Cell phones cause distractions that cause accidents. Everyone knows that." Quite another for them being directly attributed in police reports to 240,000 car accidents per annum in the last year that data is available. Especially when their use/involvement in the accident isn't always noted, and especially when they estimate that the number of cell phone drivers at any specific time has approximately doubled since that data was collected in 2002. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Yeah. So's television and health care. You drive on public roads which are maintained by government workers and are both state and federally funded. The state and federal governments have every right to lay down the rules as to what you can and cannot do on their roadways. It is also a matter of public safety. Your individual rights do not take precedence over the well being of the general population. If the numbers say cell phone use, hands-free or otherwise, have a significant effect on road safety then they should not be used while driving. You can't make a rational argument against this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you. Somebody's got a man crush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 How the hell is the government "suppressing" common !@#$ing sense????? By running our public school system. Duh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 It is useful for quantifiable numbers. It's one thing to say that "Cell phones cause distractions that cause accidents. Everyone knows that." Quite another for them being directly attributed in police reports to 240,000 car accidents per annum in the last year that data is available. Especially when their use/involvement in the accident isn't always noted, and especially when they estimate that the number of cell phone drivers at any specific time has approximately doubled since that data was collected in 2002. Even those numbers are probably lame... My accident in may: I just know the girl who was trying to pass me on the left (in oncoming traffic) while I was making a left turn ahead of her was on her cell phone... Of course I can't prove it (so I never even went there with it) and she of course is going to say no... But, man she was on the horn quicker than you can say boo... My phone was actually knocked to the floor from the console... I had to hunt around a while for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blzrul Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I disagree with the hands free statement. I feel all cell phone use is distracting. I've nearly missed an exit while talking hands free. I don't like it either. If my phone rings when I'm driving, I ignore it. Over a year ago 5 girls in the Rochester area were killed just after high school graduation in a terrible fiery crash. Turns out there was texting going on. My point is, all this is a big DUH. Anything that distracts a driver is dangerous. A car is dangerous. If people are to f-ing stupid to leave the phone in their pocket, then I hope they only kill themselves. You can't chew gum and walk at the same time either, so why you'd think you could drive and talk to a 1-900-chickline without missing an exist is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blzrul Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 The person on the other end of the phone is probably not in the car with you. Thank you, Howard Cosell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I don't like it either. If my phone rings when I'm driving, I ignore it. Over a year ago 5 girls in the Rochester area were killed just after high school graduation in a terrible fiery crash. Turns out there was texting going on. My point is, all this is a big DUH. Anything that distracts a driver is dangerous. A car is dangerous. If people are to f-ing stupid to leave the phone in their pocket, then I hope they only kill themselves. You can't chew gum and walk at the same time either, so why you'd think you could drive and talk to a 1-900-chickline without missing an exist is beyond me. But my point is there are different levels of danger (damn, I'm sounding like Kelly the Dog). And from my own experience talking on the phone, hands free or not is a major distraction. I aslo feel the CA could eliminate it's budget deficit by enforcing the no hand held law. I give everyone the eagle eye that I drive by that is on their cell phone. Unfortunately I have tinted windows so the probably can't see me too well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I give everyone the eagle eye that I drive by that is on their cell phone. Unfortunately I have tinted windows so the probably can't see me too well. They probably too distracted to notice you even without the tinted windows. It's a real problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 You drive on public roads which are maintained by government workers and are both state and federally funded. The state and federal governments have every right to lay down the rules as to what you can and cannot do on their roadways. It is also a matter of public safety. Your individual rights do not take precedence over the well being of the general population. If the numbers say cell phone use, hands-free or otherwise, have a significant effect on road safety then they should not be used while driving. You can't make a rational argument against this. I'm not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 They probably too distracted to notice you even without the tinted windows. It's a real problem. The funny thing is what I do is put my hand up to my ear and give them an angry look and there's been at least twice on closer inspection the person was actually not on the phone but scratching thier head or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Even those numbers are probably lame... My accident in may: I just know the girl who was trying to pass me on the left (in oncoming traffic) while I was making a left turn ahead of her was on her cell phone... Of course I can't prove it (so I never even went there with it) and she of course is going to say no... But, man she was on the horn quicker than you can say boo... My phone was actually knocked to the floor from the console... I had to hunt around a while for it. We had both our cars wrecked last week and my wife put in the hospital...I stopped at a light, my wife stopped behind me, the woman behind her never saw the brake lights OR the two cars in front of her, just decided to floor it and try to make it through the yellow...and rear-ended my wife at a full-on 35mph. The root cause? The woman was a !@#$ing idiot. No cell phone in sight. The problem isn't people driving with cell phones. The problem is PEOPLE NOT !@#$ING DRIVING WHEN THEY'RE BEHIND THE WHEEL!!!! Cell phones are merely a symptom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Frenkle Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I'm not. The funny thing is what I do is put my hand up to my ear and give them an angry look and there's been at least twice on closer inspection the person was actually not on the phone but scratching thier head or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 The funny thing is what I do is put my hand up to my ear and give them an angry look and there's been at least twice on closer inspection the person was actually not on the phone but scratching thier head or something. I've known two people who've gotten cited for scratching their ear (2 points and $200) in downtown DC under the "cell phone ban". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevbeau Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 We had both our cars wrecked last week and my wife put in the hospital...I stopped at a light, my wife stopped behind me, the woman behind her never saw the brake lights OR the two cars in front of her, just decided to floor it and try to make it through the yellow...and rear-ended my wife at a full-on 35mph. The root cause? The woman was a !@#$ing idiot. No cell phone in sight. The problem isn't people driving with cell phones. The problem is PEOPLE NOT !@#$ING DRIVING WHEN THEY'RE BEHIND THE WHEEL!!!! Cell phones are merely a symptom. Had the same thing happen, except the woman was on a cell phone and I was already stopped at a red light. She claims she never saw my brake lights or the red light . My car was a complete loss as was the car she pushed mine into. I saw her coming in the rearview mirror and can still picture it in my head if I want to [involuntary flinch]. The kicker is the guy in the car in front of me sued her for whiplash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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