no shit.....

[That Nice Guy Beck!]

A favor to ask:

Someone save this thread as evidence so when Beck kills someone because he was texting while driving he doesn't get off.

kthnxbai

why is everyone so serious, we should all go to santa clara and drink our heads off.... and take a cab of course

[Mother]

I drive a 17,000 lb vehicle over the speed limit while looking at an alpha pager, talking on 2 radio's, looking up map grids on a laptop, and talking on a cell phone. I do it 14 nights a month for 12 hrs at a time and get paid for it.

I'm afraid I have to side with the camp that says texting/cell phones is not the issue.

It is merely the straw... poor camel

The main issue is cars that are too hightech

and

drivers that are too comfortable.

Driving isn't scary anymore.

Cars accelerate too quickly and stop too well.

The road noise is too quiet  and the cars will go straight with your hands off the wheel.

It isn't like the old days where you actually had to drive a vehicle and the act of driving occupied your attention.

here is a thought, get rid of the idea of insurance and see what effect that has on drivers.

[Drunken Monkey]

I'm with the DOT guys who was asked if airbags made drivers safer.

He said "Hell no. If we wanted to make drivers safer we should replace the airbags with 6 inch steel spikes in the steering wheels. Everyone would be a much safer driver with those installed"

[Scottish]

HA! I saw a car marked "student driver" being driven by an instructor who was texting on my way to work yesterday. I guess they are being taught that now? 

[El Matador]

I even threw a text when I was on the track at road america a few weeks ago

Sure you did 

Was this before, after, or while you spun out?

[Holden]

what's a legitimate reason to text anyone ever?
_____________________________
Message sent from my Blackberryâ,,¢

[TiNi]

I drive a 17,000 lb vehicle over the speed limit while looking at an alpha pager, talking on 2 radio's, looking up map grids on a laptop, and talking on a cell phone. I do it 14 nights a month for 12 hrs at a time and get paid for it.

I'm afraid I have to side with the camp that says texting/cell phones is not the issue.

It is merely the straw... poor camel

The main issue is cars that are too hightech

and

drivers that are too comfortable.

Driving isn't scary anymore.

Cars accelerate too quickly and stop too well.

The road noise is too quiet  and the cars will go straight with your hands off the wheel.

It isn't like the old days where you actually had to drive a vehicle and the act of driving occupied your attention.

here is a thought, get rid of the idea of insurance and see what effect that has on drivers.

i agree with you on this J,
but the kid was responsible for the safety of others in his trolley.

i don't know... it seems to me that the new law is a good one.
the only reason i can think of to have a mobile device on board would be in case of an emergency.
one of those 2-way radio things would take care of that, unless his girlfriend is the dispatch on the other end.

i've never liked dealing with the phone while driving... i like driving too much.

[herm]

I drive a 17,000 lb vehicle over the speed limit while looking at an alpha pager, talking on 2 radio's, looking up map grids on a laptop, and talking on a cell phone. I do it 14 nights a month for 12 hrs at a time and get paid for it.

and you know you are not supposed to be doing that. thats what the company officer in the right seat is for. yeah, i know, rural vfd and all that, but that doesnt make it right, or safe.

i would liken that to giving cpr without a pocket mask......or not wearing gloves.

just sayin.......
and i agree with most of the rest of what you posted

[psycledelic]

I have always been confused by peoples need to text anyway.  If you need to have a conversation with someone, and you have a phone in your pocket, why not call them and take care of a 20 minute series of fumbling through a 10 digit keypad typing abreviated code.  R U w/ Me? 
Of course, I am Mr. anti technology.  We don't even have call waiting.  Making someone "hold on" while you talk to someone else is rude!  First come, first serve.

[Le Pirate]

I have always been confused by peoples need to text anyway.  If you need to have a conversation with someone, and you have a phone in your pocket, why not call them and take care of a 20 minute series of fumbling through a 10 digit keypad typing abreviated code.  R U w/ Me? 
Of course, I am Mr. anti technology.  We don't even have call waiting.  Making someone "hold on" while you talk to someone else is rude!  First come, first serve.

I agree.

Half the people I know won't even answer their phones anymore. It rings 4-5 times, goes to voice mail....30 seconds later you get a text asking what you wanted. I wanted to talk to you JACKASS! Thats why I called you on the PHONE! If I wanted to write back and forth, I would of sent you an email. I won't even get started on driving and texting. My wife doesn't see anything wrong with it...I hate hate hate it. I guess she also hasn't been an inch from getting her leg crushed a bumper of a car who's driver was txting and pulled out into the intersection without looking first.

I hate people.

[Mother]

herm

that's the ambulance, code 3 returns are all done solo

the RFPD gig is also done solo and that rig is 38,000 lbs...regardless of that

my point remains, it is never the point specific item that is the danger but the fundamental

there are a large amount of operators that multi-task in the seat due to need

from fighter pilots to truck drivers

so the device isn't the issue, it is a combination of factors from training to entitlement that are the true problem.

a law forbidding texting isn't the solution, it is a band-aid

A proper solution would be correctly trained drivers with accountability and a cognitive ability to know when they need to communicate and when to concentrate.

Ever increasing sets of blanket laws and rules do nothing more than dumb down the population.

[Speedbag]

I agree.

Half the people I know won't even answer their phones anymore. It rings 4-5 times, goes to voice mail....30 seconds later you get a text asking what you wanted. I wanted to talk to you JACKASS! Thats why I called you on the PHONE! If I wanted to write back and forth, I would of sent you an email. I won't even get started on driving and texting. My wife doesn't see anything wrong with it...I hate hate hate it. I guess she also hasn't been an inch from getting her leg crushed a bumper of a car who's driver was txting and pulled out into the intersection without looking first.

I hate people.

+1

I hate texting also.

Then again, I hate cell phones for the most part, unless there's a good reason to use one other than just mindless babbling....

[Howie]

Gotta agree with Mother...I mean Ol' Dirty Assed Buzzard.  Laws won't solve this problem, common sense and responsibility will.  The real issue is to pay attention, be familiar with your equipment, and have the equipment set up for use.  There should be a viable reason for using these devices while driving, not chatting and arguing with your significant other.  

[sno_duc]

When I got my SEL private pilots license, they drilled into my head early and often " Fly the airplane everything else is secondary "
The same applies......Drive the vehicle everything else is secondary.

It would be interesting to compare accident rates vs driver training. A lot of countrys require much more intensive training compared to the USA. Just wondering if more training equates to a lower accident rate.

[Bick]

common sense and responsibility  

What the hell kind of antiquated thinking is that?!!!