[catatonic]

Well, it may be rather wrong of me to say it, but I think it's nature's way of saying "hang the hell up!"

http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4449021

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[Paul L.]

Reminds me of Arthur Dent and his digital watch.

[The Seldom Kill]

I'm trying to muster sympathy with little success.

[Guest]

I feel bad for the child. That's about it.

Koffee

[Da Tinker]

Concurr with Koffee. I'm glad the child will be physically alright.

This lady was so wedded to her cell phone, felt that her conversation was so important, that she could not even drop the device to deal with a driving crisis.

But that's OK, the severed arm was still clutching the phone.

[John Wilke]

Guess there was a reason whey they taught in driver's education to hold the steering wheel at 10 and 2 o'clock, eh?

Was out taking pictures this morning (by car) and there were a ton of sheriff cars out with speed traps ... BRAVO !!

jw

[thebankman]

Driving and talking on a phone is a great idea. Great. I hope the phone wasn't damaged or it would be a catastrophe.

[nycm'er]

"...still clutching the cellphone." <dry heaving retch>

[The Seldom Kill]

"...still clutching the cellphone." <dry heaving retch>

My response was a rather dark chuckle.

[Dchiefransom]

Hmmmmmm, I wonder what kind of comments are "heard" on motor vehicle forums when they find out someone on a slow moving bicycle that was riding on the road with faster traffic has been injured?

[Da Tinker]

Possibly the same as might be posted here if some rider augered in trying to talk on his cell phone and ride in traffic at the same time.

[Artkansas]

I feel bad for the child. That's about it.

Koffee


Thank goodness for seatbelts. It said the truck rolled several times. Without the belts, both of them would have been hamburger.

[San Rensho]

So what apparently happened is, she got distracted blabbing on the cell phone, got off the road into the median, saw she was off the road, over-corrected and went flying across the road and then overturned several times.

Isn't our consumer society great? Everyone has to have an SUV and a cell phone. A very deadly combination. Cell phones distract you and SUV's handle so poorly you can't recover from a small incident.

[UmneyDurak]

So what apparently happened is, she got distracted blabbing on the cell phone, got off the road into the median, saw she was off the road, over-corrected and went flying across the road and then overturned several times.

Isn't our consumer society great? Everyone has to have an SUV and a cell phone. A very deadly combination. Cell phones distract you and SUV's handle so poorly you can't recover from a small incident.
Actually it said she was driving a truck.

[dta95b7r]

Cell phones are a desease

[thebankman]

Cell phones are a desease

+1 and the side effects are brain cancer and higher risk of injury. But at least Muffy knows how flippin cool your new shoes are before you get out of the shoe store.

[lubes17319]

What did the person on the other end hear?
Now that'd be interesting, eh.

[Blue Order]

So what apparently happened is, she got distracted blabbing on the cell phone, got off the road into the median, saw she was off the road, over-corrected and went flying across the road and then overturned several times.

Isn't our consumer society great? Everyone has to have an SUV and a cell phone. A very deadly combination. Cell phones distract you and SUV's handle so poorly you can't recover from a small incident.

Actually it said she was driving a truck.The reason SUVs handle so poorly is because they're trucks in disguise.

I feel sorry for her.

[supcom]

Well, it may be rather wrong of me to say it, but I think it's nature's way of saying "hang the hell up!"

I'm trying to muster sympathy with little success.

My response was a rather dark chuckle.

I feel bad for the child. That's about it.

Concurr with Koffee. I'm glad the child will be physically alright.

This is not advocacy. This is ugly. Shame on you all.

[Mars]

This is not advocacy. This is ugly. Shame on you all.

+1

[I-Like-To-Bike]

This is not advocacy. This is ugly. Shame on you all.
+2. I thought it must be hard to point fingers and laugh at other's pain while simultaneously polishing your own halo, and basking in self rightousness; but obviously not so for some "advocates" posting of their glee at the "cager's" misfortune.

[sbhikes]

I laughed because it's just too poetic (as in poetic justice). My BF who isn't a cyclist said no way is that true it has to be an urban legend. Maybe that's why it's so funny. It sounds like an urban legend.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

I laughed because it's just too poetic (as in poetic justice). My BF who isn't a cyclist said no way is that true it has to be an urban legend. Maybe that's why it's so funny. It sounds like an urban legend.
I would think many non-cyclists think/laugh using the same "poetic justice" thought process any time/every time a cyclist gets hit by an automobile.

[khuon]

I'm going to inject a bit of counterbalance here. While there are likely and unlikely scenarios, my conscience would find it hard to back me up for presuming too much.

Queue up the voice of Rod Serling and picture if you will... a mother and daughter in a high speed chase being pursued by those who would serve to do them harm. In a frantic moment while trying to summon help on her mobile phone, the mother loses control of the vehicle...

Am I saying that's what happened? No. Am I saying that cannot happen? No. Am I saying that I feel too many of us are too quick to condemn someone who has already undergone a traumatic event either through fault of their own or not? Yes. I think there's too much anticipation out there waiting in the wings ready to jump on any mention of "SUV", "cellphone" and "driving" without understanding the completeness of the situation. The scant details in those four or five paragraphs of that news story certainly leave a lot to be desired. And I don't feel they're enough to exact the kind of contempt people are so willing to dole out.

[DataJunkie]

+2. I thought it must be hard to point fingers and laugh at other's pain while simultaneously polishing your own halo, and basking in self rightousness; but obviously not so for some "advocates" posting of their glee at the "cager's" misfortune.

#3. For once I agree with ILTB.
Advocacy does not involve this type of behaviour. Sure driving with a cell can be considered bad. However, the punishment does not fit the so called crime and making light of it is just plain callous.

[unkchunk]

Jeeze, it's not like the lady is dead. Eventually she'll get out of the hospital, stick a door knob on the steering wheel, drive again and still talk on her cell phone. Probably the same one. If she had called 911 and was being chased, it would have been mentioned and the 911 tape played on the 24 hour news networks. I've never been in an car accident on my bike, but have had many close calls... and the common denominator is usually the cell phone. It's got to the point if I see a car driver on their cell phone, I automatically assume they will do someting stupid.

[John E]

I just hope motorists who read this story will learn the lesson that driving is a full-time job which requires one's undivided attention at all times. Rest in peace, Sydney!

[khuon]

If she had called 911 and was being chased, it would have been mentioned and the 911 tape played on the 24 hour news networks.

Would it? How can you be so sure? Reporters in their haste skip over details or the details aren't known until later. How many times have we read about cyclists getting struck where very little detail was given in the article? I subscribe to the posit that driving while talking on a phone can lead to an accident due to distractions. I however am not going to cast ill-judgement upon someone I do not know involved in a situation for which I do not have all the details.

[catatonic]

Like I said, I knew it was not right of me to feel that way, but I do.

[Blue Order]

Jeeze, it's not like the lady is dead.You're right, she's only had her arm torn off.

[BroMax]

I would think many non-cyclists think/laugh using the same "poetic justice" thought process any time/every time a cyclist gets hit by an automobile.


Isn't that like comparing apples and oranges? Unless the cyclist did something stupid, such as talking on a cell phone, I fail to see any aspect of poetry or justice if such cyclist gets hit by a car. Driving and using a cell phone at the same time ought to be a crime. Using a bicycle may be perceived as a crime by other users of the public rights of way, but it is not and ought not to be so.

[arpy]

Wow! A person has her arm ripped completely from her body--in front of her child, no less--and people here just laugh and chuckle and get some kind of delight from it, for no other reason than because she was in a car and on her cell phone. That constitutes bicycling advocacy?

[becnal]

As Samuel Jackson would say, "You folks are some coooooooold Mo Fo's!"

[Cyclaholic]

What I see in this story is an innocent child that suffered a horribly traumatic incident and won't be able to get a comforting hug from mum like she used to. I find that heartbreaking.

I fail to understand why talking on a cellphone while driving isn't a criminal offence everywhere - at least the equivalent of high range DWI.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

It's got to the point if I see a car driver on their cell phone, I automatically assume they will do someting stupid.
So are you bragging about your attitude or what?

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Isn't that like comparing apples and oranges? Unless the cyclist did something stupid, such as talking on a cell phone, I fail to see any aspect of poetry or justice if such cyclist gets hit by a car. Driving and using a cell phone at the same time ought to be a crime. Using a bicycle may be perceived as a crime by other users of the public rights of way, but it is not and ought not to be so.
Put 2 and 2 together, Bro. Many people think cyclists are so "stupid" for cycling in traffic. Cyclist gets hurt cycling in traffic. Voila! Poetic Justice! Yes, it is stupid; just like the perception found on this Forum held that dismemberement is poetic justice for someone so "stupid" to use a cell phone while driving

[I-Like-To-Bike]

I fail to understand why talking on a cellphone while driving isn't a criminal offence everywhere - at least the equivalent of high range DWI.
Your failure to understand or agree with the reasoning does not equate to a justification or rationale for such action.

[Fred Smedley]

"Can you hear me now?"

[schwinnbikelove]

"Can you hear me now?"

Well played.

[Guest]

I'm not laughing. It's too bad she got her arm torn off. It's too bad she practiced poor judgement. It's too bad she's stupid.

The only innocent victim I see here is the kid. I don't feel sorry for the woman at all- that's correct. But I'm not laughing or mocking either. I see it as a learning experience for her. Maybe others will learn from this experience too. I would tell her next time, don't talk on the phone while driving.

Koffee

[Markio]

You guys are dark! so morbid!

[The Seldom Kill]

I admit that I have a very dark sense of humour, but don't take me for laughing at dismemberment. It was the notion that even a very severe injury couldn't get the driver to relinquish their grasp on the phone. Biology is renowned for it's sense of irony. Irony is a form of humour that I was under the wrongful impression that you can appreciate whilst being an advocate against the source. My apologies for the offence that I have caused, I can assure you that it was unintentional.

And let's face it, there is precious little that would or could constitute advocacy about this thread. I'm inclined to say that it has no real home in A&S and I'm surprised that it has not yet been moved.

I'm not sure what people expect to advocate here. A harsher punishment than losing and arm perhaps? I can't say that I'm prepared to be that draconian. Or perhaps I missed a cue for another round of circuitous polar arguments regarding cell phone use while driving, several of which already populate this board.

[Mr. Miskatonic]

I laughed because it's just too poetic (as in poetic justice). My BF who isn't a cyclist said no way is that true it has to be an urban legend. Maybe that's why it's so funny. It sounds like an urban legend.


SCOUTMASTER "And on clutched in the severed hand..was a CELL PHONE!"
CAMPERS: *GASP*!

[DataJunkie]

Once or twice a month I take the car out and to either pick up construction materials for a remodel or to commute to work.
Occasionally, when I feel conditions are right, I talk on my cell phone while driving. GASP!
Usually on the freeway during rush hour. Does that mean y'all would laugh if I was dismembered in front of my 2 1/2 yr old toddler?
...and people wonder why america is going to hell in a handbasket. The common man\woman does not give a rats ass about each other.

[The Seldom Kill]

Once or twice a month I take the car out and to either pick up construction materials for a remodel or to commute to work.
Occasionally, when I feel conditions are right, I talk on my cell phone while driving. GASP!
Usually on the freeway during rush hour. Does that mean y'all would laugh if I was dismembered in front of my 2 1/2 yr old toddler?
...and people wonder why america is going to hell in a handbasket. The common man\woman does not give a rats ass about each other.

You know, you're absolutely right. We should move to ban humour as a coping mechanism and demand that everyone should engage in emotional attachment with everyone in the world, despite having no real connection with 99.999% of them. That would be the smart thing to do.

[jimmuter]

I can understand the schadenfreude in some respects because all of us who use the roads have seen this lady. She is the one yapping away, not paying attention to driving, hollering at her kid(s) and generally making conditions unsafe for the rest of us. I'm guilty of wishing that lady misfortune, though I'm not proud of it. We all make mistakes and exercise poor judgement from time to time, so it would be better if we could all be a little more understanding of each other's foibles.

[smurfy]

This may not be so much about advocacy but it certainly is about safety!

[I-Like-To-Bike]

You know, you're absolutely right. We should move to ban humour as a coping mechanism and demand that everyone should engage in emotional attachment with everyone in the world, despite having no real connection with 99.999% of them. That would be the smart thing to do.
Yep, nothing like laughing at those "stupid cagers", or patting oneself on the back for being pure of heart (and intention) in comparison with those "ignorant cagers", for making a real bicycling advocacy statement. NOT!

All the cager bashing rants/macabre "humor" (and pompous self righteousness associated with it) do is make a statement about the legitimacy and mindset of the clueless so-called "advocates" who make such statements in public.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

This may not be so much about advocacy but it certainly is about safety!
Yeah, and jokers who claim that their version of "safety" is better/more important than everybody else's.

[Wulfheir]

This would make a good verizon commercial.

Still camera shot beside a highway. The camera is positions just above the ground, in the foreground is a severed arm clutching a cellphone. The background (out of focus) shows an overturned SUV.

Dude walks into the shot, puts one knee down and lowers his head to the cell phone:
"Can you hear me now?"
"Good"

btw, i'm ashamed i find this amusing, you don't have to tell me.