Cell Phones

[papabear]

I wonder how many folk have perished or caused another to persih because they were trying to light up a stogey or dig for the cigarette they just dropped. They haven't outlawed smoking and driving yet. As others have said, you can't outlaw stupid. I'm going to side with Mahala on this one, natural selection. Sad fact is that stupid is often responsible for others premature demise. In reference to the Popo, lots of LEO involved accidents were because of just that, too much going on while driving. Between the puter, radio and the idiots that panic at the sight of a police vehicle, its tough to be safe.

OK...I'll fess up!

In 1992 I was driving up the freeway at about 65mph, wearing loose fitting shorts and smoking a cigar.
Some way, I dropped the stogey and of course it went into my shorts leg...did I mention I wasn't wearing undies?

Long story short...I didn't hurt anyone...even me...but I flipped a nice MonteCarlo and totalled it.

I shudder to think what may have happened....so I ain't gonna judge anybody.

 

[Recovry4x4]

They should put that sticky gummy crap that adheres the credit card to the paper, on the base of them stogeys eh Larry?

 

[papabear]

I don't really care Kenney...ain't smoked a friggin stogey since!!

 

[onegmjack]

That real sad,a call or text cost two lives.Will some ever learn???

 

[wreckerman893]

If you die while doing something stupid then you just died stupid.

I get a lot of flack for that comment but it is true.

I met an IDIOT the other day halfway over in my lane in a curve and I could see the hands on the top of the steering wheel and the fingers moving ( I was in a deuce). I never considered turning my wheels and putting myself in the ditch......the moron looked up at the last minute and saw a large green bumper headed toward his hood......he jerked the wheel and put his dumb arse in the ditch.

Of course the finger came out of the window.....it was obiviously my fault that he was too busy texting another moron (that was prob driving too) to pay attention to the road..

The only time I will attempt to miss an idiot is if there are kids in the car.......at the end of the day I am going home and the Darwin Award winner is going into the body bag.

I love it when a restuaunt or movie theatre installs devices that block cell signals.......if you're that worried about a phone call or text please go find another place to do it.

 

[gunboy1656]

I wonder if the law will ever try to prosecute the other person texting with vehicular homicide(in the future).

Would be very tough to do, since the fault would not be who (may have) sent the text to get her to respond. She may have been sending a text to her friend to say she was on her way. Another person may have sent one to her she needed to respond to. Just imagine being in the person's shoes if they did send a text that they wanted a response to and this was the result.

In either case she SHOULD have passed off her phone and have the passenger respond. Truly a shame that kids can't see what can possibly happen to them. Remember the days when you were invincible, now look at the knowledge you (may or may not) possess. Maybe it is me, but I don't think MOST kids are ready to drive at 16. I have a 15 year old stepson who is determined he is going to drive at 16, but his mom and I are in agreement that it is not happening until he shows a LOT more responsibility. He turns 16 in April so we shall see what time brings.

 

[Bighurt]

They are getting the laws changed here as well. However it's tied with minor driving privlages not everyone.

I hate to say it but the fault lies with the parents.

Mom and Dad put them in the drivers seat, Mom and Dad put the cell phone in their hand. If mom and dad failed to teach the child proper use of either that is no ones fault but there own. But after it happens the parents say it should be against the law... Failure of proper parenting should pose a change in law.

Am I guilty sure I am, do I know the danger I sure do. Do I text with the family in the car, I sure don't. Do I text when there are other vehicles present, Not if I see them. Am I responsible maybe not in the eyes of some but I keep it to a minimum.

I also think there should be no seat-belt and no helmet laws. Survival of the fittest!

 

[KsM715]

Wreckerman. Ive taught my wife and will teach my kids, never swerve to avoid someone elses stupid mistake. Only if its a child in the road. Ive seen more rollovers because someone swerved to miss a dog or deer or squirel. (obviously, she knows if its a big huge truck in her lane get the **** out of the way, but you get my point) If your smashed up in the ditch there better be some evidence of why your there. I.E. some other jackass in the other ditch or that damed neighbors dog that keeps running out in the road.

 

[onegmjack]

I agree wreckerman,you can't fix stupid.I don't text at all I still like to talk.

 

[mightymanx]

Cellphones
lipstick
cheeseburgers
books
bills
maps
smokes
coffee
cd's
CB's

You pick it, it all distracts from driving and the root cause of driving deaths is complacency of the driver, not the inanimate object.

 

[panshark]

I also think there should be no seat-belt and no helmet laws. Survival of the fittest!

That's interesting. My first motorcycle accident was the other driver's fault, and I did my 3-second airshow without a helmet. I wear one every time now, and my state doesn't have a helmet law.

Is the root of our problem a lack of training?

 

[Danger Ranger]

I believe there should be no laws on helmets, seatbelts or the like.
“That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.”-Thoreau


However, I will choose to wear mine because of the other idiots out there. Now driving farm equipment (antique stuff that isn't as solid as something bigger and newer)on the road is a bigger decision to make.

Maryland has laws that only allow wireless, and hands free stuff. No texting or calling while driving.

 

[tamangel]

tend to agree with you at times but when your head gets squished or your wife's rib's get broken in a crash due to no helmet/seatbelts, my insurance rates go up.. If only effected you, squish on...

Mike

“No man is an island . . . He's a peninsula."
Jefferson Airplane from 'After Bathing at Baxter's'

 

[deuceaid]

my mom got pulled over the other day for scratching her face..........looked like she was on the phone........if there ignorant,,,then thats a shame....otherwise glad there not on the road anymore( i wouldnt say that if it were my relative,,,, then again, I would beat the tar out of my sister for litering, or smoking cigarettes)

 

[emmado22]

I feel bad for the parents of the dead girls, but if you want to do stupid things, your going to pay the price.

This story came out a few days or so ago in NY. He died for what he belived in.. Too bad he's dead. Motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law - CBS News

I dont text or tak while driving, and if I DID ride a motorcycle (which I dont) I'd wear a helmet. But thats just me.

 

[stumps]

Many states (Most?) have a "last clear chance" law that requires the innocent party to swerve, stop, or turn, to avoid a collision, if it is possible to do so safely. If you stay in your lane, and hit a driver that drifted out of his lane, you could be held liable if you don't try to avoid the collision.

Hitting one of those rolling wheel chocks that drifts into your lane can easily flip you... especially in a vehicle whose bumper is up as high as a deuce's.

-Chuck

 

[doghead]

Another case of, "don't always believe what you have been told".

Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet.

That was said before the autopsy. I have first hand knowledge that he had absolutely NO head injury from the accident. He had severe chest trauma.

The police are not going to back down from their initial public comment, right or wrong.


It's not easy to get the truth, nowadays...

 

[Atomic]

I was dating a police officer here in GA who would text, call, talk, respond on the radio, eat, drink (soda) and do everything else besides drive. She is a terrible driver! I finally gave up asking if she wanted to call me back. She never did and she says "I'll be fine". I'm afraid that one day she won't be. This is not LEO bashing moment but they have the no texting law here in GA and she chooses to ignore it completely, stating "whose going to pull me over". She's not the one for me. I care but I have spoke my peice about.

I might call someone while driving but never will I text. I got rid of texting on my phone. What's the point?

WM is right on the money. Be stupid and suffer the results.

By the way Tigger, thank you for responding. It's good to know that people like you will!!

 

[Flyingvan911]

Too bad the girls died and worse that you had to see it. The key to driving well is to be inteligent and know your limits.

 

[Dave Kay]

Yes, it is tragic those girls lost their lives but seems obvious to me that no one ever taught them how seriously risky it is to type/text while driving a car. Maybe that's partly their parents fault and you can pass all the laws you want--- but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that. And now-a-days, with kids in public schools being taught to have MORE SELF-ESTEEM THAN ACTUAL BOOK-KNOWLEDGE OR COMMON SENSE, perhaps there again is the result. I tend to wonder what exactly is this obsession with texting anyway? Why can't you just give the person a phone call? Lot easier than trying to fat-finger those tiny keypads, no?