Advocacy & Safety - Telephones again...

Perhaps they should be called MePhones....

I pulled up next to a driver this morning, and as I do on occasion, tapped on his window and asked that he "please not use the phone whilst driving". Now of course I'm prepared for all manner of responses ;)

His retort "I'm not using the phone, its an app"

Two lovely kids in the car.

:crash::crash::crash::crash::crash:

If he had rolled up to your house and knocked on your door, said, "Hey, you and lady, wanna keep it down. I got kids in my car can hear your carnal carnival."

How would you respond? Tapping on car widows? Just a matter of time before we're reading about you in the paper.

Perhaps they should be called MePhones....

I pulled up next to a driver this morning, and as I do on occasion, tapped on his window and asked that he "please not use the phone whilst driving". Now of course I'm prepared for all manner of responses ;)

His retort "I'm not using the phone, its an app"

Two lovely kids in the car.

:crash::crash::crash::crash::crash:

I would say that using an app still counts as using the phone. As said app is on the phone and he has to be interacting with the phone in order to use the app.

Perhaps they should be called MePhones....

I pulled up next to a driver this morning, and as I do on occasion, tapped on his window and asked that he "please not use the phone whilst driving". Now of course I'm prepared for all manner of responses ;)

His retort "I'm not using the phone, its an app"

Two lovely kids in the car.

:crash::crash::crash::crash::crash:

Wow...good thing nobody's mistaken you for a carjacker...albeit in funny looking cothes. In this day and age, not very smart.:twitchy:

"Some mother****ers always like to ice skate up hill".

That said, while I think it is ok to ask drivers to not use their phones while driving I do not think it is ok to tap on their window to do so. If you want to get their attention do so with out physical contact with thier vehicle. If you do not want to yell at them to get their attention use one of these: http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1015625493 It dont matter if the window is up or not, it will always get their attention.

When at a red light what I typically do is blast them with the Air Zound and make a motion with my hand to hang up the phone if they have the window up. Sometimes they actually do. The ones that do I smile and give them a thumbs up. Most of them usually either glare at me to which I smile after motioning for them to hang up the phone, or they have a look of confusion.

The drivers with the window down who do not hang up I keep blasting until I run out of air in the horn, until they hang up or until the light turns green. For some odd reason they do not roll the window up, you'd think they would, but they don't.

If he had rolled up to your house and knocked on your door, said, "Hey, you and lady, wanna keep it down. I got kids in my car can hear your carnal carnival."

How would you respond? Tapping on car widows? Just a matter of time before we're reading about you in the paper.

A polite request to consider his antisocial & potentially dangerous behaviour is my perogative. I'm sticking to my guns on this - I've had numerous near misses as a result of distracted drivers using handheld devices thank you very much. Should they want to feature me on the news, I'd be all too happy to venture an opinion.

I love the way that the driver thought using an app was somehow OK despite the fact that it requires not only mental but visual concentration. Of course, it is actually legal to bugger around with the device as long as you are not continuing a conversation whilst holding it (a wierd wrinkle in CA traffic law) but, AGGGGHHHH! I find this whole thing exasperating.

I understand when people get frustrated about drivers on phones. But if you're going to jump in on people doing it, just be careful about it-- you don't want to get hurt by some lunatic.

We should also know that there are similar folks in our own house so to speak-- that is bicyclists who ride around while on cell phones-- one hand to ear, one on the bars. Sure a bicycle won't kill like a 4000 lb car, but it's still not right to be distracted. This sort of behavior takes place all over, and in a variety of situations now. I frankly just don't get the cell phone while biking crowd-- for me a ride is an almost-zen experience, not to be disturbed by telephones.

Using an app is WORSE than talking. Same as texting, IMO.

Wow...good thing nobody's mistaken you for a carjacker...albeit in funny looking cothes. In this day and age, not very smart.:twitchy:

Car jacker? oh please... With an English accent and a road bike? Making a polite request? In Palo Alto?

Car jacker? oh please... With an English accent and a road bike? Making a polite request? In Palo Alto?

You're not the babe-in-the-woods you present yourself as, are you? People get shot for less than that all the time. Here's an idea: Go find a low-riding, window-tinted Honda with wheel spinners and bad music emanating from it. Tap on those window. I'd pay money to watch that. Whatever happened to minding one's own business?

What kind of moron can't talk on the phone and drive at the same time?

The same ones who drive around white knuckled all the time, I bet.



All these nanny-state laws are making me sick.


I drive a lot and talk a lot and it's not a distraction any more than changing the radio or drinking a drink.

You're not the babe-in-the-woods you present yourself as, are you? People get shot for less than that all the time. Here's an idea: Go find a low-riding, window-tinted Honda with wheel spinners and bad music emanating from it. Tap on those window. I'd pay money to watch that. Whatever happened to minding one's own business?

I consider that I was, indeed, minding my own business.

My deadly foe this morning was a skinny white guy with spectacles driving a Toyota Prius containing 2 kids, on the outskirts of Stanford University.

What kind of moron can't talk on the phone and drive at the same time?

The same ones who drive around white knuckled all the time, I bet.



All these nanny-state laws are making me sick.


I drive a lot and talk a lot and it's not a distraction any more than changing the radio or drinking a drink.

It's up to you I suppose, but I just don't see how people can think this is a good practice in general. In many places, the law agrees.

Sorry, I'd consider that suicidal behavior to knock on car windows.

Mind your own business, Ed.

There isn't a person on this forum that knows darn well that unsolicited advice isn't received kindly - think of your own responses to non-confrontational suggestions made by ignorant motorists.

For that matter, he will probably end up wrapping himself around a phone pole before he takes out a cyclist. Let him.

-Kurt

I admire you for your courage in trying to do something about it. I always find it surprising that people in the wrong always have some lame excuse or reason why it's alright for them to engage in antisocial/dangerous behaviour.

I actually argued in the government consultation that hand held and hands free should equally be banned. Plenty of research to show that engaging in phone conversations is worse than being legally drunk! The research was done using car simulators. The drivers on mobiles were more accident prone than a legally drunk person.

What is worrying is that recent research shows that many near misses/actual accidents occurred because people were engaging in: phone conversations, reading/writing text messages on hand held phones - all illegal in the UK.

Wow, OK. You never can tell which way the wind is blowing in A&S :). I'm more surprised by the reactions offered here, than by those from motorists to whom I speak on occasion. I have never felt threatened by a motorist that is A) stopped and B) rolled down a window to speak. Of course I excercise some judgement before engaging anyone in conversation.

A couple of weeks ago I pointed out to a middle aged woman driver that her car had a very soft tyre. She was very grateful to know about the problem, and asked me, with a smile, where the nearest garage was. Now that was nice.

You lot are so uptight sometimes ;) :)

Cell phone distracted driving has been proven by studies to be plenty dangerous. Easily much more dangerous than non threatening, unsolicited advice giving I'd say. Therefore as a society I believe it is our duty to stigmatize this behavior, like we have with drunk driving. Publicly calling out those who insist on putting us all in danger is a small step to help reach this goal.

Personally I favor doing the talking hand thing, or honking, while giving the yacker a serious stare down. The frightening thing is not the small chance that a driver will attempt to "teach me a lesson", (I've yet to have a person willing to drop their phone to come "get" me) but the large amount of drivers that don't even come out of their cell induced trance, even while being stared or honked at!

I would never tap or touch a vehicle though. Actually, I'm never really close enough to reach one, whether stopped or not.

Another Road Ranger move. Lucky you didn't get your face broken. Leave the enforcement to the police.

Car jacker? oh please... With an English accent and a road bike? Making a polite request? In Palo Alto?

Ah yes, an English accent and a road bike paints a very safe picture and delves into the character of a person whose motives can never be mistaken as other than honorable!:thumb:

Wow, OK. You never can tell which way the wind is blowing in A&S :). I'm more surprised by the reactions offered here, than by those from motorists to whom I speak on occasion. I have never felt threatened by a motorist that is A) stopped and B) rolled down a window to speak. Of course I excercise some judgement before engaging anyone in conversation.

A couple of weeks ago I pointed out to a middle aged woman driver that her car had a very soft tyre. She was very grateful to know about the problem, and asked me, with a smile, where the nearest garage was. Now that was nice.

You lot are so uptight sometimes ;) :)

Now you're playing stupid and it's not working. There is one hell of a difference between approaching a stranger (and a woman at that) and giving them a hand with a problem, and approaching a male stranger and telling him how he should conduct his personal life.

You are either incredibly stupid or simply enjoy posting foolish scenarios to see what kind of reaction you can get. Mind you, I don't care if you are just fishing. Gives funny people a chance to have sport with you. But if you are the former (stupid) come on down to Miami. We could use a good laugh.

Where's the guy that does the "phone jammed into ass" gesture?

Now you're playing stupid and it's not working. There is one hell of a difference between approaching a stranger (and a woman at that) and giving them a hand with a problem, and approaching a male stranger and telling him how he should conduct his personal life.

You are either incredibly stupid or simply enjoy posting foolish scenarios to see what kind of reaction you can get. Mind you, I don't care if you are just fishing. Gives funny people a chance to have sport with you. But if you are the former (stupid) come on down to Miami. We could use a good laugh.

I've got a perfectly good idea of what I'm getting into with this. As mentioned before, I've had the whole spectrum of reactions from drivers regarding the use of phones whilst driving. That is only to be expected.

Why should I mind my own business in a situation where I consider an individual's actions to be potentially dangerous to others around them AND I consider there to be little personal risk in doing so, such as with Mr Prius of Palo Alto this morning?


Besides all this, my whole point with this thread was to highlight the absurdity of CA law that the driver basically used to justify his action - that it's OK to drive and use a handheld device so long as you are doing something that requires visual attention, rather than simply holding a conversation.

Mr. Ed: I can see there is no getting to you. You are a true believer. Good luck in all further endeavours involving the taming of your fellow man. But if you run into my middle sister out there in CA, don't be tapping on her windows. She carries a gun and has no use for nosy Englishmen. It's a character flaw of hers. Just so you know.

What kind of moron can't talk on the phone and drive at the same time?

The same ones who drive around white knuckled all the time, I bet.



All these nanny-state laws are making me sick.


I drive a lot and talk a lot and it's not a distraction any more than changing the radio or drinking a drink.

The stats say otherwise. But, it'll never happen to you.

Mr. Ed: I can see there is no getting to you. You are a true believer. Good luck in all further endeavours involving the taming of your fellow man. But if you run into my middle sister out there in CA, don't be tapping on her windows. She carries a gun and has no use for nosy Englishmen. It's a character flaw of hers. Just so you know.

She won't mind, I'm really quite nice about it :) It's not an agressive tap at all. Still, thanks for the tip...

This is an odd thread - I might venture that, in California at least, I find drivers in general to be far more polite and less agressive than they are in Merry old England.

She won't mind, I'm really quite nice about it :) It's not an agressive tap at all. Still, thanks for the tip...

This is an odd thread - I might venture that, in California at least, I find drivers in general to be far more polite and less agressive than they are in Merry old England.

Ed you kept your sense of humor throughout this whole thing. I may have to rethink you. I'll call the sister and recommend tear gas for the Mary Poppins who bangs on her window - no gun. Not yet.

Ed you kept your sense of humor throughout this whole thing. I may have to rethink you. I'll call the sister and recommend tear gas for the Mary Poppins who bangs on her window - no gun. Not yet.

:beer:

Oh this was easy, I've had a little training over in VC.....;)

Ed: This whole forum game is interesting on levels way beyond the topic. I don't really care about the subject. It's the people I find intriguing. You did not once get upset or lose your cool. You were even charming. I'm a sucker for charming - man or woman. It's pretty hard to keep up a head of steam when your opponent is smarter than you and won't stop smiling. Course, you obviously know this. Sorry I bothered you. If you want me to delete all my earlier posts, I will do so. I still don't agree with what you are doing but charm goes a long way with me.

What a surprise twist!
It's like M. Night Shyamalan wrote this thread.

What kind of moron can't talk on the phone and drive at the same time?

The same ones who drive around white knuckled all the time, I bet.



All these nanny-state laws are making me sick.


I drive a lot and talk a lot and it's not a distraction any more than changing the radio or drinking a drink.

It's a LOT different, Obie; it's called an ongoing distraction. Been proven repeatedly to be as dangerous as drunkeness behind the wheel. Maybe...MAYBE...you have the multitasking skill to pull it off, but 90+% of the population CAN'T. When some chucklehead you didn't see coming plows into you because they were texting while driving, and you can't drive for three months because of some spinal injury, maybe you'll rethink your outrage.

I, personally, deserve better than to be mangled under those same wheels, under these same circumstances.... I didn't ask to be smeared all over the asphalt.

Old town,

Thanks for your nice words - no need to worry or delete posts, no bother caused, no feelings hurt :)

It is amusing to read those threads in which people get really angry attempting to "win" an argument over the internet. You might as well try and argue with a motorist :p

Cheers,

Ed

The stats say otherwise. But, it'll never happen to you.

ORLY?

Go find me the stat that says CELL PHONE USE causes car accidents.

I'll give you a hint....there isn't one. Distracted driving does but that includes all distractions.

ORLY?

Go find me the stat that says CELL PHONE USE causes car accidents.

I'll give you a hint....there isn't one. Distracted driving does but that includes all distractions.

Right - and using similar logic, drinking doesn't cause car accidents either. Driving while impaired causes accidents.

Obviously, drinking (and driving) leads to driving while impaired. And, using a cell phone while driving is distracting.

Looking at the first google response to a search for "statistics cell phone use accidents," leads to the following stats:
Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year.
Teens say that texting is their number one driver distraction.
Talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25% of car accidents.
In 2002, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis calculated that 2,600 people die each year as a result of using cellphones while driving. They estimated that another 330,000 are injured.
# A car driver dialing a cell phone is 2.8 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-distracted driver.
# A driver reaching for a cell phone or any other electronic device is 1.4 times more likely to experience a car crash.
# A car driver talking on their phone is 1.3 times more likely to get into an accident.
# A truck driver texting while driving is 23.2 times more likely to get into an accident than a trucker paying full attention to the road

I see many drivers with the phone in hand and head up a$$. I would like to see this reversed.

I see many drivers with the phone in hand and head up a$$. I would like to see this reversed.

Phone in head and hand up ass?

Right - and using similar logic, drinking doesn't cause car accidents either. Driving while impaired causes accidents.

Obviously, drinking (and driving) leads to driving while impaired. And, using a cell phone while driving is distracting.

Looking at the first google response to a search for "statistics cell phone use accidents," leads to the following stats:
Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year.
Teens say that texting is their number one driver distraction.
Talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25% of car accidents.
In 2002, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis calculated that 2,600 people die each year as a result of using cellphones while driving. They estimated that another 330,000 are injured.
# A car driver dialing a cell phone is 2.8 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-distracted driver.
# A driver reaching for a cell phone or any other electronic device is 1.4 times more likely to experience a car crash.
# A car driver talking on their phone is 1.3 times more likely to get into an accident.
# A truck driver texting while driving is 23.2 times more likely to get into an accident than a trucker paying full attention to the road

I saw that too...and then I found some actual data:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811216.PDF

"Driver distraction was reported to ■■ have been involved
in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008 according to data
from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)."
Although they cannot say how much of that 16% was due to cell phones.

I still believe distracted drivers are to blame, not the distraction. Meaning, it is bad driving while using a cell phone, not using a cell phone that causes accidents.

I see many drivers with the phone in hand and head up a$$. I would like to see this reversed.

What head in their hands and their phone up their ass?

I saw that too...and then I found some actual data:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811216.PDF

"Driver distraction was reported to ■■ have been involved
in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008 according to data
from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)."
Although they cannot say how much of that 16% was due to cell phones.

I still believe distracted drivers are to blame, not the distraction. Meaning, it is bad driving while using a cell phone, not using a cell phone that causes accidents.

So then, does it not help to remove potential distractions where possible?

What kind of moron can't talk on the phone and drive at the same time? Nobody can. It's called denial.

I still believe distracted drivers are to blame, not the distraction. Meaning, it is bad driving while using a cell phone, not using a cell phone that causes accidents.

Holy crap. Who left the gate open?

I still believe distracted drivers are to blame, not the distraction. Meaning, it is bad driving while using a cell phone, not using a cell phone that causes accidents.

100% correct. Fact is, it doesn't take a cell phone to render a motorist a blind rocket on (or potentially careening off) the tarmac.

All it takes is one motorist reaching for a Tootsie Roll (or any other meaningless object) rolling around the passenger's-side floorpan of a vehicle otherwise containing nothing else.

-Kurt

100% correct. Fact is, it doesn't take a cell phone to render a motorist a blind rocket on (or potentially careening off) the tarmac.

All it takes is one motorist reaching for a Tootsie Roll (or any other meaningless object) rolling around the passenger's-side floorpan of a vehicle otherwise containing nothing else.

-Kurt

Oh, but that cell phone can really help. Whilst driving on the freeway recently I noticed a car ahead of me that was drifting in and out of its lane to the the left and right. I passed with a wide berth and noted that the driver was "texting", peering ahead once in a while to check the direction of travel.

Tapping on the window would have been a bit tricky, as they wouldn't hold still.

Oh, but that cell phone can really help.

Of course - I'm not denying it. The length of a cellular phone call increases the potential inattentiveness. Then again, someone running around with a virtual paper mill across the center console can pose a nearly identical threat.


Tapping on the window would have been a bit tricky, as they wouldn't hold still.

:lol: - didn't know A&S had any humor left. (Come to think of it, did it have any in the first place?)

-Kurt

Perhaps they should be called MePhones....

I pulled up next to a driver this morning, and as I do on occasion, tapped on his window and asked that he "please not use the phone whilst driving". Now of course I'm prepared for all manner of responses ;)

His retort "I'm not using the phone, its an app"

Two lovely kids in the car.

:crash::crash::crash::crash::crash:

He wasn't applying himself correctly.:roflmao2:

So then, does it not help to remove potential distractions where possible?

I would prefer to remove the bad drivers and keep the gubment out of my life.

I would prefer to remove the bad drivers and keep the gubment out of my life.

The government is already in your life. They build the roads, set up insurance and license requirements, decide speed limits, decide who gets taxed to pay for the roads, tell you to use a seat belt, and decide how much alcohol or drugs you can have in your system when you drive. Letting them decide what distracting devices are allowed (cell phones (text or voice), gps routing, computers, smart phone apps, etc.) seems to be par for the course. They can't spell it out for every conceivable activity, but they can help make decisions for the common distractions. It is much easier to remove distractions and promote safety than it is to figure out who the bad drivers are and remove them.

If you could only hurt yourself, I'd say do as you please and keep the government out of it. On the road it is a different story.

If he had rolled up to your house and knocked on your door, said, "Hey, you and lady, wanna keep it down. I got kids in my car can hear your carnal carnival."
It's amazing that you think that these are anywhere equivalent. Clearly, you think that people should also be allowed to drive drunk.


Whatever happened to minding one's own business?
I supposed you'd just ignore somebody being assaulted because that isn't "your business"? Amazing.


Mr. Ed: I can see there is no getting to you. You are a true believer. Good luck in all further endeavours involving the taming of your fellow man. But if you run into my middle sister out there in CA, don't be tapping on her windows. She carries a gun and has no use for nosy Englishmen. It's a character flaw of hers. Just so you know.
If anybody is looking for a strong argument for not allowing people to carry guns, this is it.

==============================


Of course I excercise some judgement before engaging anyone in conversation.
It's amazing that some people here assumed that didn't exercise any judgement.

==============================


I drive a lot and talk a lot and it's not a distraction any more than changing the radio or drinking a drink.
I bet you living in Lake Wobegone too!

Another Road Ranger move. Lucky you didn't get your face broken. Leave the enforcement to the police.

because we all know how well that's working...

Do you tell smokers that cigarettes are bad for them as well?

I can see this woman telling her story when she got home that night

"I was sitting at a light... on my phone, when an angel in spandex appeared and changed my life forever."

Seriously, what kind of impact do you think you are having?