Hang up & drive!

[kelleigh1]

Several years ago, my parents (in their 50's, so not old) were driving from MA to OH to visit my sister. I took my old cell phone and had it set up as a pre-pay with so many minutes on it and I made sure I got a brand new battery.

When I gave it to them, they responded with "what do we need a cell phone for? We've got phone cards. We can just use a pay phone." I asked "and which one of you is going to walk 5 miles back to the nearest pay phone when the camper breaks down in the middle of nowhere?" They took the phone. Although, they only used it a couple times and then let all the minutes run out and gave it back to me a couple years later. UGH!

My father actually feels that all cell phones should be outlawed, but that's because he's upset about smoking laws and that he can't smoke anywhere he wants.

 

[pooh6890]

POOH, if you read my post correctly....nevermind I will copy it here....I said HAVING A BLUETOOTH, not a cellphone and NOT owning a cellphone OBVIOUSLY you do not know what a bluetooth is..........yeesh!

...This is an example of a bluetooth, it clips on your ear, making you completely hands free.

NOW about cellphones.....AND the lack thereof......
Having a cellphone is NOT just for talking to friends. Last Xmas season, I drove to a Mall that is about 16 miles from my MA home AND all backroads. I left early (8am) as the Mall opened early. Did my shopping. Left the Mall around noon and realized as I am heading back home that there is now construction and roadblocks everywhere that were not there when I headed to the Mall. The Police has everyone going in all different directions....I am so confused now and w/o GPS (which I have since purchased) I tried so hard to get back home. I kept turning down all these backroads and was getting NO WHERE fast. I got pretty upset but kept saying I will do this, I am not calling DH or DS. After 15 minutes of following people and deciding that was not right and ending up in all these different neighborhoods....I decided to drive back to where the Police had everyone re-routed....I figured I will ask him how to head in the direction I need.... well, no one was there, they had all left for lunch BUT the road I needed was still BLOCKED.

Now was the time to use my cellphone . I pulled over in front of someone's house and called DH. He was on his computer and asked me the address I was at...I gave him the house # and the street and he went on Mapquest and then directed me out of that neighborhood, that town and I finally was able to find my way back home. I was just so glad he was home and it was not night time.

My new GPS has this awesome feature on it that says "get me home from here"...so if I am every lost again, I just push that button and I am all set!!

I FIND HAVING A CELLPHONE ABSOLUTELY A NECESSITY!!!

Got it! I read your post wrong.....sorry.

My original point though was to not talk and drive at all. I stand by that. Too many people are just gabbing away and not paying attention......now, for emergency purposes like yours.....absolutely!

 

[momrek06]

Got it! I read your post wrong.....sorry.

My original point though was to not talk and drive at all. I stand by that. Too many people are just gabbing away and not paying attention......now, for emergency purposes like yours.....absolutely!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

They will be able to prove EXACTLY when the accident occurred? Better not use your cell to call for help because they may say the accident was at 1:01 & really it was at 1:00 but you were on your cell at 1:01 calling for help!!

Ummm....phone records also indicate the numbers that you called. Therefore, if 911 shows up, I'm sure they won't assume you were having a casual conversation with the dispatcher when the accident occurred.

People are inherently more dangerous around a gas station than a cell-phone because of the very real and proven danger of static-electricity discharge, but I haven't seen any stickers about how people should be banned.

Is it easier to needlessly worry about an unproven but minutely possible theoretical danger than it is to think about a proven danger that all of us potentially can encounter every single time we pump gas?

Agnes, they do place warnings (at least around here) to minimize static electricity. Along with the warnings for cell phone use and smoking, there's a sign that indicates that the car doors should not be opened while pumping. It's unrealistic to ban people when people are needed to pump gas. Therefore, it's an acceptable risk. However, I can't think of an incidence ever when smoking or cell phone usuage while pumping gas would be necessary.

 

[scrump]

I swear I'm about ready to make a sign & keep it in my car. The next time an idiot on a cell phone cuts me off, I'm going to pass them at the next safest opportunity & flash them the sign.

Must of had a record number of them today while running errands.

THis is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves.

 

[drivencrazy]

Today while I was out... there was a car next to me that had a sign in the window that said..........

Hang up the cell phone and drive.

There was also some kind of picture under it, but I couldn't make it out.



Then I got behind the person to busy talking on the phone to do the speed limit. UGGGG!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I believe it's the static electricity mixed with gas fumes, but I could be wrong. There are signs at the gas pumps where I live warning people not to do it.

Actually this is an urban legend. You can find it on both Snopes and Mythbusters. Cell phones do not generate static electricity and their signal will not cause a pump to explode.

Now, static electricity can cause pump fires which is why you shouldn't get in and out of your vehicle while pumiping, and should touch a surface away from the pump before picking it up to discharge any static electricity that has built up.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Actually this is an urban legend. You can find it on both Snopes and Mythbusters. Cell phones do not generate static electricity and their signal will not cause a pump to explode.

Now, static electricity can cause pump fires which is why you shouldn't get in and out of your vehicle while pumiping, and should touch a surface away from the pump before picking it up to discharge any static electricity that has built up.

Ummm....we've had an entire discussion about this already on THIS thread. If you're interested, go back and read.

 

[Laurabearz]

Will you have a sign for an idiot that cuts you off and isnt on their cell phone??

Or what about the idiot that cuts you off while eatting? Will you have a special sign for that too?

 

[drivencrazy]

 

[genius118899]

So, I'm far too lazy to look up the study now, but a year or two ago I did a research paper on this topic. A few studies actually found that talking to someone else IN THE CAR was more dangerous than talking on a Bluetooth, as most people tend to look at whom they're talking to (even casual glances). This study also found that the biggest distraction to drivers was children in the car. Sure, I've been cut off by people on cell phones, but I've also been cut off by angry parents turned halfway around in their seats yelling at their kids. I personally think they should outlaw cell phones while driving at the same time they outlaw kids from riding in cars.

 

[ginna74]

mythbusters did do a segmaent on this and it is false and just a myth and NOT true snopes was a so so, well mythbusters I believe in. So it is FALSE!

 

[mushumadness]

hiya, I have been cut up so many times lately with people on phones, and its illegal here, you get a fine and points on your license but no one seems bothered.

I personally switch my phone off in the car

 

[Carly_Roach]

I'm hoping someone will come up with a gadget that scrambles any cell phone signal in a car when that vehicle reaches 10mph or higher. I'm also hoping that the miracle gadget will, by law, be installed in all cars. Kind of like the third brake light that came into being in the middle 80's. That third brake light was a safety issue. Drivers on cell phones is becoming a safety issue.

We lived with automobiles for over 60 years before people decided that constant communication with people outside the vehicle was a necessity in the 90's. I believe if people had to pull over and stop in order to communicate with their family, friends, co-workers, what have you, they'd start prioritizing just how necessary that communication really is.

Cell phone drivers are a menace to everyone else on the roads. Those who say their cell phone usage hasn't impacted their driving skills obviously aren't speaking for the drivers following behind them, the drivers in the next lane trying to avoid the cell-phone drift, or the drivers in front of them praying that the cell phone user behind them won't rear-end them if they have to stop suddenly.......like for that red light or stop sign up ahead.

 

[LoraJ]

So, I'm far too lazy to look up the study now, but a year or two ago I did a research paper on this topic. A few studies actually found that talking to someone else IN THE CAR was more dangerous than talking on a Bluetooth, as most people tend to look at whom they're talking to (even casual glances). This study also found that the biggest distraction to drivers was children in the car. Sure, I've been cut off by people on cell phones, but I've also been cut off by angry parents turned halfway around in their seats yelling at their kids. I personally think they should outlaw cell phones while driving at the same time they outlaw kids from riding in cars.

It's not bluetooth hands free that is an issue with me. It's people with the phone in their hand.

There is a HUGE difference. And I get nearly hit by way more people with phones in their hands then someone holding a conversation. I can only recall an issue with that once in the last year or so. This woman was driving slow and swerving all over the road. When we got to a light her window was down and I asked her if she was drunk or something because she couldn't stay in a lane. She said she wasn't drunk and of course got all defensive but her friend in the passenger seat was smirking and I think glad I said something lol.

 

[mfd25wife]

I get frustrated over the cell phones. But, driving is where I have the least patience. I hate seeing adults turned halfway around dealing with their kids in the backseat. I've known one person killed because the other driver was trying to find the right radio station. Heck, we even have billboards everywhere to get our attention off the road and other drivers. People are just way way to distracted these days. But, since we are talking gadgets, I'm tickled at the police officers with the computers in their cars now. It's great if they pull over to read or send, but they don't and really can't since it's a big part of their communication.

 

[fairykin]

We almost had 2 car accidents today because of the SAME woman blabbering on her phone.

What's up with that?

If i need to use my cell phone i pull over.

Very few things in life are that important to risk others safety just to blabber on the phone.

Want me to say blabber again?

 

[Guy Incognito]

I'm hoping someone will come up with a gadget that scrambles any cell phone signal in a car when that vehicle reaches 10mph or higher. I'm also hoping that the miracle gadget will, by law, be installed in all cars. Kind of like the third brake light that came into being in the middle 80's. That third brake light was a safety issue. Drivers on cell phones is becoming a safety issue.

funny you should mention that.... get your own portable cell phone jammer, turn it on and just drive near the offending person.... some say they have a range anywhere from 20-40m





(for U.S. folk, such devices are illegal, and you can face a hefty fine if you are found using one)

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Ummm....we've had an entire discussion about this already on THIS thread. If you're interested, go back and read.

Ummm... Sorry. The multiquote is not working on my computer (it takes me straight to the reply). So I quoted it as soon as I saw it. Didn't realize it had been discussed until I finished reading.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

funny you should mention that.... get your own portable cell phone jammer, turn it on and just drive near the offending person.... some say they have a range anywhere from 20-40m





(for U.S. folk, such devices are illegal, and you can face a hefty fine if you are found using one)

I'm glad they are illegal in the U.S. I agree people should hang up and drive, but it is not my job to police others' actions. I've always had a problem with that device. What if you are near a person who needs to use their phone in because it is an emergency? You don't get to choose whose signal you scramble, so you wouldn't just be scrambling a driver's signal.

When I heard about those I admit I did worry that they would get imported to the U.S. illegally. Several people talked about using them at places like Disney parks so people can't talk on their cell phones near them. What if a child was lost and trying to call their parents? What if there was something important and somebody was trying to reach a person who was standing near you? (New baby, accident, etc.) Those devices are highly unethical.

Also, any gadget that would scramble a signal in a moving car... what if it was a passenger on the phone? It would scramble their signal too. Like it or not, cell phones are just one of the many distractions. Changing radio stations, messing with your mp3 player, even talking to a passenger can all be deadly distractions. Heck, I've seen people reading in the car! Take away their cell phone and they will find another way to distract themselves.