[Rant] Put down the damn phone!!

[redthirtyone]

I don't think I've mentioned the fact that I work 3rd shift. I've worked 3rd shift for the last 7 years, & I've worked some form of 3rd/split/night shift job for the last 20 years, since college. I am fairly certain that if I had to deal with day walkers all the time that I would snap & spend the rest of my days in jail.

To my point, I am getting tired of driving along & encountering a car in my lane that is going about 10-15 mph slower than the rest of traffic flow. When I can finally swing over & pass them, I glance over & there they are - looking at their phone.

So I've decided that when I see this in the future, I'm gonna lay on the horn as I pass them. What I'd REALLY like to also have is a bumper sticker to clue them in that they can read as I swing back over in front of them. I searched & all I can find are the "Honk if you love Jesus! Text if you'd like to meet him" ones, but that doesn't convey what I'd like to say.

So I whipped up something on a creator site:

Now I realize this isn't the best course of action. From psychopaths willing to chase me down after I honk at them, to the danger of startling an already distracted driver. So does anyone have any other suggestions for warning these idiots of their impending doom?

 

[bhamv3]

It'll probably require some tech-savviness, and you need to replace "laptop" with "phone", but it should still be awesome.

 

[Bubble181]

It gets worse when, even while talking on the phone, they still feel the need to pass by a truck on a dual carriageway. While talking, jsut stick behind the bloody slow thing instead of holding everybody else in the whole wide world.

As for suggestions: a brick to their windscreen will work.

 

[Bowielee]

It gets worse when, even while talking on the phone, they still feel the need to pass by a truck on a dual carriageway. While talking, jsut stick behind the bloody slow thing instead of holding everybody else in the whole wide world.

As for suggestions: a brick to their windscreen will work.

This the most European post in the history of the boards.

 

[bhamv3]

Nah, he didn't call the truck a lorry.

 

[PatrThom]

Nah, he didn't call the truck a lorry.

I was just going to say that!

--Patrick

 

[sixpackshaker]

And he said pass instead of overtake...

 

[Bubble181]

I actually wrote lorry and overtake in the first version of the post, and changed them before submitting

 

[dill616]

I don't think I've mentioned the fact that I work 3rd shift. I've worked 3rd shift for the last 7 years, & I've worked some form of 3rd/split/night shift job for the last 20 years, since college. I am fairly certain that if I had to deal with day walkers all the time that I would snap & spend the rest of my days in jail.

To my point, I am getting tired of driving along & encountering a car in my lane that is going about 10-15 mph slower than the rest of traffic flow. When I can finally swing over & pass them, I glance over & there they are - looking at their phone.

So I've decided that when I see this in the future, I'm gonna lay on the horn as I pass them. What I'd REALLY like to also have is a bumper sticker to clue them in that they can read as I swing back over in front of them. I searched & all I can find are the "Honk if you love Jesus! Text if you'd like to meet him" ones, but that doesn't convey what I'd like to say.

So I whipped up something on a creator site:

Now I realize this isn't the best course of action. From psychopaths willing to chase me down after I honk at them, to the danger of startling an already distracted driver. So does anyone have any other suggestions for warning these idiots of their impending doom?

What I hate most is being in the car with someone who is texting and driving or on their phone. I had this problem with my older sister. She'd be going 80+ down the highway, texting, facebooking, streaming music ,and hell knows what on her phone. Your life might not be worth that much to you, but I have a lot to live for.

 

[GasBandit]

$219 mobile cell phone jammer, free car charger with purchase.

Be a roving dead spot.

 

[Cajungal]

HAH! That is cool.

My dad was almost injured by one of these idiots. He was having a text fight with his girlfriend and swerved into the turning lane. Dad was honking frantically with nowhere to go, and finally the guy swerved and took off his mirror. I have no tolerance for people who endanger others in this way. There's just no point.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Since I live in a college town, I pretty much drive with my thumbs on my horn. Now I am just running the risk of breaking them off if I get in a wreck and the bags deploy.

 

[Cajungal]

I feel like officers here don't crack down on texting while driving enough. We have those traffic cams, and if someone happens to be photographed typing on their phone, that's one thing. But I feel like if they were really vigilant for a while, people would get the message... or most people. It's like a damn plague. Kids are getting on the road... sixteen year old kids... and texting. I see it every day. I wasn't allowed to drive with my cell for the first few months I had one (before texting, but still...), and it taught me that anything can wait until you can afford to take your attention away.

 

[Gared]

I was adamantly opposed to the law that they passed in Washington banning talking on the phone while driving unless you were using a hands free headset, because I used to talk on the phone and drive (a stick shift at that) all the time, and never had a problem, never drove erratically, and still paid more attention to the road than I did to my phone call, and I never texted or watched videos, or used Facebook, or any of that shit. It really didn't matter to me, because I already had a hands free headset, I just thought it was ridiculous to enact a law like that which couldn't possibly have that many repercussions on actual driving.

Boy, was I wrong. Now that the law's been passed, my wife and I like to play a little game when we see a really shitty driver - you know the type, driving random speeds, frequently speeding up and slowing back down, swerving back and forth within their own lane, making erratic lane changes, etc. - called "Drunk or Phone," and 99% of the time, the person is on the damn phone. And the ones that really get me? The people who are driving Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc. on the way to or from work at Microsoft, holding a damn phone to their head, especially the ones that have a bunch of front end damage from already having rear-ended someone. You work at Microsoft and drive an expensive, fancy car! You cannot expect me to believe that you can't afford a headset.

 

[Officer_Charon]

Cajungal The problem with the enforcement of the "no-texting" laws is that it's so easy for the idiot to state that they were "just typing in a phone number," or something to that effect.

At least, that's how it is in GA, as the law here only covers reading, writing or sending a text, e-mail or some other form of data over the SMS or Internet.

Then again... if they're not driving safely, I can always get them with the "Driver to exercise due regard," code section (OCGA 40-6-241).... hrrrrrm.....

Just for you, Seej, I'll snag one tomorrow. It'll be "Seej's bust."

 

[Cajungal]

YAY! Thanks, Officer. You gotta come back here when you nab one. ^_^ I know there must be a million ways around it. But any kind of typing should count as "texting."

 

[checkeredhat]

Cajungal The problem with the enforcement of the "no-texting" laws is that it's so easy for the idiot to state that they were "just typing in a phone number," or something to that effect.

At least, that's how it is in GA, as the law here only covers reading, writing or sending a text, e-mail or some other form of data over the SMS or Internet.

Then again... if they're not driving safely, I can always get them with the "Driver to exercise due regard," code section (OCGA 40-6-241).... hrrrrrm.....

Just for you, Seej, I'll snag one tomorrow. It'll be "Seej's bust."

The law here is almost the exact opposite. While it's called "distracted driving", it technically only covers using your cellphone. Virtually anything else is technically legal. That's why Toronto most hated man in the city loud mouth obnoxious asshole mayor Rob Ford can get by with being photographed reading the newspaper while he drives and the cops shrug and go "Well he didn't do anything illegal".
It's stupid. Very, very stupid.

 

[Jay]

Cajungal The problem with the enforcement of the "no-texting" laws is that it's so easy for the idiot to state that they were "just typing in a phone number," or something to that effect.

At least, that's how it is in GA, as the law here only covers reading, writing or sending a text, e-mail or some other form of data over the SMS or Internet.

Then again... if they're not driving safely, I can always get them with the "Driver to exercise due regard," code section (OCGA 40-6-241).... hrrrrrm.....

Just for you, Seej, I'll snag one tomorrow. It'll be "Seej's bust."

Aren't there laws to hands off phones over there?

ex: Can't use your phones with your hands but a Bluetooth is fine... even to dial?

We have that here... in Quebec.

QUEBEC.

We can't agree on languages here... but we got this.

 

[PatrThom]

You [...] drive an expensive, fancy car! You cannot expect me to believe that you can't afford a headset.

Bah! Humbug! Sense is for ze common folk!

--Patrick

 

[sixpackshaker]

I wish they could ban eating a bowl of cereal WITH MILK while driving. But one of the worst distracted driving that I saw was a guy trying to get the last teaspoon of Slushie out of the bottom of a cup using one of those straw/spoons... he rear-ended somebody while I watched.

I am glad I don't live in Houston any longer.

 

[Azurephoenix]

$219 mobile cell phone jammer, free car charger with purchase.

Be a roving dead spot.

I have a feeling that they can't export this to Canada... which is sad because I WANT ONE NOW!!!

 

[ncts_dodge_man]

I wish they could ban eating a bowl of cereal WITH MILK while driving. But one of the worst distracted driving that I saw was a guy trying to get the last teaspoon of Slushie out of the bottom of a cup using one of those straw/spoons..

I've seen people eating sub sandwiches - getting lettuce all over their vehicle and themselves while talking on the phone. It's like WTF?

Since my bluetooth headset broke in half (had the thing for 8 years) I don't answer the phone when driving (driving a stick shift). Currently researching what is good out there for Bluetooth since it's been 8 years since I got one.

 

[Ravenpoe]

I've seen people eating sub sandwiches - getting lettuce all over their vehicle and themselves while talking on the phone. It's like WTF?

Since my bluetooth headset broke in half (had the thing for 8 years) I don't answer the phone when driving (driving a stick shift). Currently researching what is good out there for Bluetooth since it's been 8 years since I got one.

If you only ever use it in the car, you can get a visor mounted speaker. Most new models have noise cancellation and voice activation, and the battery on mine is good for 30 days on one charge.

 

[sixpackshaker]

My car has built in Blue Tooth. At first it still sucked because I had to pick up the phone to answer. Now I only have to pick it up to call out.

 

[MindDetective]

FYI: it is worth pointing out that the reason talking on a cell-phone while driving is bad (as bad as drunk driving!) is not because of the use of your hands but the use of your attention. Thus, using a hands-free option does not improve your driving ability as compared to actually holding the phone. I try to talk/answer the phone while I drive as little as possible. It feels like I can do it, but the research...I gotta respect the research.

 

[Tress]

FYI: it is worth pointing out that the reason talking on a cell-phone while driving is bad (as bad as drunk driving!) is not because of the use of your hands but the use of your attention. Thus, using a hands-free option does not improve your driving ability as compared to actually holding the phone. I try to talk/answer the phone while I drive as little as possible. It feels like I can do it, but the research...I gotta respect the research.

You're right. Which is also why you shouldn't have anyone in the car with you ever, use a GPS device, nor should you turn on the radio or listen to any music. Your hands should be glued to the 10-2 positions on the steering wheel at all times, and your eyes should do nothing more than constantly scan both the road and your mirrors.

You do all that too, right?

 

[Azurephoenix]

You're right. Which is also why you shouldn't have anyone in the car with you ever, use a GPS device, nor should you turn on the radio or listen to any music. Your hands should be glued to the 10-2 positions on the steering wheel at all times, and your eyes should do nothing more than constantly scan both the road and your mirrors.

You do all that too, right?

Only when I'm on the race track.

 

[MindDetective]

You're right. Which is also why you shouldn't have anyone in the car with you ever, use a GPS device, nor should you turn on the radio or listen to any music. Your hands should be glued to the 10-2 positions on the steering wheel at all times, and your eyes should do nothing more than constantly scan both the road and your mirrors.

You do all that too, right?

Actually, the experiments have shown the radio doesn't affect your attention, usually (I can't claim this is universally true, though). And when you have another person in the car, they serve as an extra set of eyes, so conversing with a passenger also is no different from driving at full attention. I suppose if you had a blind passenger then it might be similar to talking on a cell phone but to my knowledge there has been no such experiment.[DOUBLEPOST=1346439286][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, I suspect using a GPS device DOES distract, but more intermittently than talking on the cell phone.

 

[Gared]

You're right. Which is also why you shouldn't have anyone in the car with you ever, use a GPS device, nor should you turn on the radio or listen to any music. Your hands should be glued to the 10-2 positions on the steering wheel at all times, and your eyes should do nothing more than constantly scan both the road and your mirrors.

You do all that too, right?

Actually, that's the 9 and 3 positions these days. At 10 and 2 you risk injury if the airbag deploys.[DOUBLEPOST=1346440238][/DOUBLEPOST]

Actually, the experiments have shown the radio doesn't affect your attention, usually (I can't claim this is universally true, though). And when you have another person in the car, they serve as an extra set of eyes, so conversing with a passenger also is no different from driving at full attention. I suppose if you had a blind passenger then it might be similar to talking on a cell phone but to my knowledge there has been no such experiment.[DOUBLEPOST=1346439286][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, I suspect using a GPS device DOES distract, but more intermittently than talking on the cell phone.

See, my issue with studies, is that I very distinctly remember when eggs were good for you, before there was a study done showing they were loaded with cholesterol and horrible for you, but that was before a study was done showing that they're loaded with protein and very good for you, but then there was a study done showing that they were high in fat and that was bad for you, but then a study was done showing that the type of fat was good for you, so now eggs are very healthy.

Or, for a more recent study, remember when cell phones caused brain cancer because of their harmful radiation? But then they didn't, because the next study said so? But now maybe they do again? Or maybe they don't? Or maybe cell phones are OK, but headsets aren't? But living under power lines definitely isn't good... except when it's not bad.

I'll stick with my bluetooth headset and pay attention to both my conversation and the road, because even when I'm not talking on the phone, I'm constantly thinking about things (dinner, weekend plans, philosophical conversations, physics, engineering, whichever book series I'm currently reading, football, baseball, video games, movies, etc.) and listening to the radio, and observing everything that's going on around me because we've too many shitty drivers around here. When I'm on the phone I'm on the phone, I'm driving, and I'm paying attention to what's going on around me because we've too many shitty drivers around here. My thoughts have much less chance of wandering if I'm actively talking on the phone to someone.

 

[MindDetective]

That's the worst view of science you could possibly have. It reeks of "seek out what sounds best for me"-ism. Don't blame research studies, blame popular press science reporting for that. The media thrives on contention and sudden reversals in thinking. They want to depict science as a gladiator arena fight or earth-shattering new discoveries. But that isn't it. There are disagreements (there HAVE to be!) but that doesn't mean research studies should be thrown out or ignored! Case in point: The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reversed their position on circumcision (link) but this does not negate the risks because there were always risks, and it doesn't inflate the benefits, because there were always benefits, but the Academy has determined that we have a better understanding of these things. The subtleties of the conversation about an important parental decision are lost when the media gets their hands on that information (or lack of a conversation, if they are reporting something prematurely as a new ground-breaking finding).

Considering my specialty (hint: it has to do with cognitive psychology) I can assert that the research has reliably and thoroughly demonstrated how drivers perform while using cell phones (edit: including in comparison to other driving conditions). Do you honestly think in 10 years research will say, collectively, "oops, it actually makes your driving better to talk while driving"? Just because of the complex risks and benefits of eating an egg?

 

[Espy]

Hey MD:

 

[Gared]

That's the worst view of science you could possibly have. It reeks of "seek out what sounds best for me"-ism. Don't blame research studies, blame popular press science reporting for that. The media thrives on contention and sudden reversals in thinking. They want to depict science as a gladiator arena fight or earth-shattering new discoveries. But that isn't it. There are disagreements (there HAVE to be!) but that doesn't mean research studies should be thrown out or ignored! Case in point: The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reversed their position on circumcision (link) but this does not negate the risks because there were always risks, and it doesn't inflate the benefits, because there were always benefits, but the Academy has determined that we have a better understanding of these things. The subtleties of the conversation about an important parental decision are lost when the media gets their hands on that information (or lack of a conversation, if they are reporting something prematurely as a new ground-breaking finding).

Considering my specialty (hint: it has to do with cognitive psychology) I can assert that the research has reliably and thoroughly demonstrated how drivers perform while using cell phones (edit: including in comparison to other driving conditions). Do you honestly think in 10 years research will say, collectively, "oops, it actually makes your driving better to talk while driving"? Just because of the complex risks and benefits of eating an egg?

Dude... I didn't say anything about my view of science. I'm all for science. I'm all for scientific studies. What I don't like, and what I specifically attempt to avoid at all costs, is jumping from one viewpoint of a product/service/reality to another just because a study has been published about it. The problem I have is that, unless I have access to read the study in its entirety, as originally written by the scientist(s) who wrote it, by the time it gets to me it's been bastardized to mean what the person presenting it to me wants it to mean. My complaint about scientific studies is exactly what you're pointing out here. As for the fact that you can personally assert what the research has shown, I'm sure I could go out there and find at least one if not a dozen cognitive psychology specialists who would disagree with you, even if they knew that you were right and were just trying to cover the hard facts up on behalf of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Samsung. Should I trust you, because I kind of semi know you from an online forum, or someone else? Or, should I continue to live my life in a way that I've found that I am safe?

Scientific studies are good things. Personal life experience is a good thing too. Until I find that I can no longer concentrate enough on the road to drive while talking on a cell phone with a bluetooth headset, I'm going to continue to do so. I'm also going to continue to not Facebook, text, watch movies, or mess about with things that require that I both take my hands off the wheel and my concentration away from what's going on outside my vehicle.

 

[Dei]

Actually, the experiments have shown the radio doesn't affect your attention, usually (I can't claim this is universally true, though). And when you have another person in the car, they serve as an extra set of eyes, so conversing with a passenger also is no different from driving at full attention. I suppose if you had a blind passenger then it might be similar to talking on a cell phone but to my knowledge there has been no such experiment.[DOUBLEPOST=1346439286][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, I suspect using a GPS device DOES distract, but more intermittently than talking on the cell phone.

GPS is probably better than trying to read your google maps directions while going 55mph.

 

[sixpackshaker]

GPS is probably better than trying to read your google maps directions while going 55mph.

No doubt, if you are doing 55 in Houston. You'll get run over.

 

[PatrThom]

Your hands should be glued to the 10-2 positions on the steering wheel at all times

These days, it's 8-4, or else you risk getting your arms broken if the airbag deploys.

Actually, that's the 9 and 3 positions these days. At 10 and 2 you risk injury if the airbag deploys.

Arg! Sorta-ninja'd! 9-3 would put your hands right on the steering wheel braces. Depends on the car, I suppose.

--Patrick