Cell phones while driving (language)

[PepperElf]

My boyfriend was almost hit yesterday by another driver who was talking on her cell phone.


He was driving back from the hospital, visiting his cousin who .... was riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a 16 year old driver talking on a cell phone.


Seriously these fucking idiots need to grow some fucking brains fast. Is the phone call really THAT fucking important that you need to put people in the hospital over it?


Not surprising, the man's father is refusing to talk to the teenager.

[tigger222]

A couple of years ago we had a lady go through the cast iron fence that goes around the parking lot and damaged six cars not including her own. The whole thing wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been talking on her cell phone at the time.

[mikoyan29]

Tonight as I was coming home from my mom's, I went through Downtown Ann Arbor and I had a woman cut me off because the lane ended suddenly. A couple blocks down, she turned her blinker on to turn right and then suddenly cut in front of me in the left turn lane.

So then I was finally coming back to my apartment and then a guy in an F-150 was going to do the "But it's my god given right to turn right on red" thing until I laid on the horn and didn't look like I was going to stop. He got the clue and stopped.

[greensinestro]

And you don't have to be on the highway for this to happen. Just yesterday I almost had a man hit me while I was backing out of a parking spot at my office. He was far enough away where I saw I could back out, figuring he would stop. Nope! As he was coming closer and not slowing down or stopping, I had to hurry and punch it, and as he went by, there were his hands waving with his mouth moving, talking on a hands free phone. Folks, even these aren't safe. If you can't talk and keep your hands on the wheel at the same time, you don't need one of these either!

[infinitemonkies]

At the moment, I can't remember if I read this here, or in the local paper, but recently there was a woman who caused a very serious accident because she was texting while driving.

This, sadly is not all that uncommon, but the part that made it stick in my mind is that she later said the reason she was texting while driving is that "it would be rude not to reply"...... apparantly more rude that being at fault for a multi-vehicle collision resulting in significant injuries.

[Midnight12]

correct me if I'm wrong but don't several states have texting while driving or on the phone while driving outlawed?

And the world isn't going to end if you don't call or text that person back right that second.

[jedimaster91]

correct me if I'm wrong but don't several states have texting while driving or on the phone while driving outlawed?

Yes. Pretty sure New York is one of them. However, most places in the US also have speed limits and we all know how well people follow those, too.

[Chromatix]

A recent study showed that the kinds of people who habitually multitask are actually the worst at multitasking.

I'd guess it's a mild form of ADHD.

[Anriana]

CA made it illegal to talk on the phone without a headset.

I talk and drive on my phone all the time. My way home is pretty much down one street for ten minutes and then down one highway for fifteen; I don't change lanes. Most nights I'm so tired I'm practically nodding off and it keeps me awake.

[Pagan]

And you don't have to be on the highway for this to happen. Just yesterday I almost had a man hit me while I was backing out of a parking spot at my office.

Tell me about it. There's been a couple of times that I haven't even get out of the parking lot at my apartment complex!

Not to mention that I've almost been run over while walking because of some dink yakking on their cell phone.

Yes. Pretty sure New York is one of them. However, most places in the US also have speed limits and we all know how well people follow those, too.

Or STOP signs. Of course, I may be mistaken and those actually stand for "Spit Twice On Pavement".

[Jetfire]

In one of the "Canadas Worst Driver" series, Andrew (the host) made a comment about how a few years ago (early 2000), there was a huge uproar when people heard of someone using their laptop while driving in Toronto. And yet, those same people don't see an issue when people are texting when driving.

Thankfully, between laws and awareness campagns, the uproar seems to be going up again, but I suspect it'll forever be a problem until we get cars with autopilot. *sigh*

[Mnemjian]

I'm in CA and here it's illegal to use a cellphone while driving unless you have a hands-free device. Of course, that just means that responsible citizens no longer use a cellphone while driving. The speshul snowflakes and Incredibly Important Business Type People (TM) of course are still magically allowed to use them I can't count the number of times I have noticed a person with a phone held up to their head, driving erratically or just plain badly. Be it making an illegal turn, cutting people off, going to fast/slow etc etc etc. Just last week the BF and I were coming out of a grocery store and walking across the big crosswalk thingy in front of the store with our cart. As we approach the middle of the crosswalk, an SUV comes around the corner and heads for us. It's not going fast, maybe 10 MPH... but of course the jackass is on his phone. We keep walking, assuming it will stop...won't it???? Well, barely! The guy was staring straight at us yakking away and he "forgot" to stop or probably just didn't even realize WTF he was doing. He had to jam on his brakes at the last second to avoid hitting my boyfriend. Everybody in the parking lot turned and gave this guy a nasty look. Of course, jackass didn't put the phone down (or say sorry for that matter).

I recommend that if you see a person talking on their cellphone while driving, whether or not it's illegal in your state, get out of their way. Just get away from them ASAP. They know not what they do

[ADoyle90815]

This is one of my pet peeves, and I also live in California where it's illegal unless one has a hands free device. I've stopped counting the number of times I've almost been hit by jackasses yakking away on their cellphones, or even worse, texting since that law has been passed. The latest incident happened today after I had picked up my paycheck and was in the parking lot of my bank. I've almost been hit while walking in a crosswalk legally because the person was too focused on their phone conversation to pay attention to WTF they were doing.

[MsCrankypants]

My dad is one of said jackasses who will yak away on his cellphone while driving - and he's a terrible driver, to boot.

Certain cities in CA have recently stepped up police patrols to nab people talking or texting while driving, and my dad happened to be in one of those cities on one of those days. In fact, he was in the city where my brother works. As a cop. So my dad used him as leverage to get out of the ticket. My brother and I don't use our dad's last name, so the officer was rightfully suspicious and asked a few questions to determine if my dad was BSing or not.

It was pretty embarrassing for my brother; this is the third or fourth time my dad has name-dropped him to get out of some kind of ticketable offense, but the first time he'd actually done it in the town where my brother works. I keep telling my brother not to do it (we don't have a real relationship with our dad - long story), but my brother feels guilty about saying "no."

Meanwhile, the jackass STILL talks while driving. He figures my brother will get him out of another ticket anyway.

[Mamadrae]

I think my state has the texting law, but not the yakking on the phone one. Either way the only thing I ever do on the phone in the car is answer and go "I'm driving." Unless they are asking me to pick up something they get told I'll call them back.

My sister in law though is HORRIBLE. She actually got into an accident and refrained from telling her parents why it was really her fault. She made the mistake of telling me she'd been texting while driving and whomped her upside the head hard for it. Being on the phone is bad enough without having to pay attention to your typing!

Only once did my husband make the mistake of trying that in front of me. I was already aggravated at him cause he was on vacation but taking calls from his office and basically stressing out over a client being an ass. I was already ready to take his phone and turn it off and not give it back to him since we were on a family vacation, complete with 2 year old in the back of the car. I was doing my best to be understanding though since he's an owner.

That is until he started trying to type out an e-mail and drive at the same time...while his family is in the car!

Needless to say the phone with all it's business got snatched from his fingers and I proceeded to bite his head off. Nice little fight in the car with him but he didn't get his phone back until we'd stopped, even then I demanded it back before I let our son get strapped into the car. Wonderful way to have a vacation start let me tell you...