If you're driving in DC, remember: No hand held cell phones

[AirForceRocks]

For folks in the DC area, the city's newest revenue enhancement measure goes into effect today. Warning citations for the first month, $100 fine after that.

 

[Roemama1]

Also illegal in NY. Has been for a while. They like to give tickets.

 

[AirForceRocks]

I'm curious to see how many tickets they actually give out here - stopping lots of people on the roads around here will make such a mess of already messed up traffic that I doubt they'll tightly enforce it. But I'm sure I'll probably test it and see...

 

[Dan Murphy]

Using an earpiece or handsfree is okay, like here in IL? We have had a similar law for several years now, they do ticket, not a lot though. I have always used earpiece, sort of like a seatbelt, get in the car, put on the belt, plug in the phone and earpiece, start and go. It is so much safer.

 

[debster812]

Oh, thanks for the info. We are driving from Mass to Baltimore at the end of the month. Time to dig out that earpiece, and find out what other states we may be in that have similar rulings.

 

[Credit Man]

The law also goes into effect in NJ today. Use your hands free device or risk a ticket.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Dan, hands free devices are still fine.

I do spend quite a bit of time on the cell phone when I'm stuck in traffic, but I'll get used to not doing it. But until I get a hands free device, I will continue to answer the phone if it is from the kids' school or summer day care.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Great site for hands free. I have ordered several times from here, hard to beat, EXCELLENT service.

 

[mickey4ver]

AFR, I broke down and bought a hands free ear piece (just went to Wal-Mart) and can I just say, what did I wait for. I used to hate trying to hold my flip phone up (I was always hitting the little volume button the side) and for the $7 I spent, it is GREAT. I didn't want to go to Verizon or such and spend a bundle til i saw if I liked it, but I do, I do!

I don't use the phone a lot in the car, but still, this little device is so cool!

 

[mickey4ver]

Dan, that one on your site looks almost exactly like my little Wal-Mart diddy...it works fine and was quite a bit less than Verizon kiosk, again, for my needs, cheap was fine

 

[wvrevy]

Just give it up and take the metro, AFR Beats the heck out of fighting all that traffic, and it's got to let off somewhere near where you work.

 

[hessman]

Just remember, dialing is as distracting as talking. Voice activation helps.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Originally posted by wvrevy
Just give it up and take the metro, AFR Beats the heck out of fighting all that traffic, and it's got to let off somewhere near where you work.

I did take the metro when we first moved here, but it became more of a hassle than it was worth. Getting to the nearest metro station to where I live is half the distance I drive to work, and it's about a mile and a half walk from the metro to my job. Not bad at all during daylight hours, but not an area you want to walk through alone if you end up working late.

And quite frankly since 9/11 I want transportation right there with me so that I can go get my kids if need be.

 

[Nancy]

NY has had this for awhile. From what I see around Buffalo they don't ticket because everyone still talks on their phones, without earpieces....I see it all the time. I personally can not talk and drive. I just like to concentrate on the road and usually won't use my phone unless I pull over off the road or get into a parking lot.

 

[LauraR]

I'm really glad they've done this, and I hope Maryland follows suit. A couple years ago there was an accident near where my father lives in Ft. Washington, where a family stopped to let their little boy go to the bathroom, and another car plowed into them. The mom and dad died, and I'm not sure about the sister. Turns out the other car was driven by a Naval Academy midshipman who was trying to dial his cellphone to tell his family he was on the way for brunch. Very sad....

 

[wvrevy]

Originally posted by AirForceRocks
I did take the metro when we first moved here, but it became more of a hassle than it was worth. Getting to the nearest metro station to where I live is half the distance I drive to work, and it's about a mile and a half walk from the metro to my job. Not bad at all during daylight hours, but not an area you want to walk through alone if you end up working late.

And quite frankly since 9/11 I want transportation right there with me so that I can go get my kids if need be.

Yeah, that's a bit of a hike, I guess. When I lived up there we were about a mile and a half from the Huntington Metro station, and of course "work" had a metro stop in the basement, so that wasn't really an issue

You know, I didn't think about the 9/11 issue. Thankfully, I was already back "home" in WV before that happened (though I still have a few friends in the building).