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Pissed me right off!
I know Im probably in the minority here because I'm pissed because I got a ticket for being on my phone while I was driving. Alot of people would say that the phone is a distraction. And I totally disagree. I can talk with a passenger while I'm driving. I can eat while Im driving. I can drink coffee while I'm driving. I've had MY children in the backseat that Ive had to deal with while I was driving. I have never been in, nor caused an accident from any of the above. I can certainly handle a simple phone call. I got my first phone in the mid 80's. The only problem the phone ever caused was if it drained my battery when I went out in the morning because it was a bag phone that plugged into the cigarette lighter - oh yeah, cigarette lighters arent allowed any more either! Now I need to pay $75 for my State's money grab? Maybe I'm getting cynical, but this (in my opinion) is getting ridiculous!
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| July 7, 2010, 02:13 |
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thechunkyone
35 / male
elizabeth, New Jersey, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
the cell phone thing i can c but the lighter thats ridiculous.
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| July 7, 2010, 02:36 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (freensleazy @ July 7, 2010, 02:13)I know Im probably in the minority here because I'm pissed because I got a ticket for being on my phone while I was driving. Alot of people would say that the phone is a distraction. And I totally disagree. I can talk with a passenger while I'm driving. I can eat while Im driving. I can drink coffee while I'm driving. I've had MY children in the backseat that Ive had to deal with while I was driving. I have never been in, nor caused an accident from any of the above. I can certainly handle a simple phone call. I got my first phone in the mid 80's. The only problem the phone ever caused was if it drained my battery when I went out in the morning because it was a bag phone that plugged into the cigarette lighter - oh yeah, cigarette lighters arent allowed any more either! Now I need to pay $75 for my State's money grab? Maybe I'm getting cynical, but this (in my opinion) is getting ridiculous!
Never caused an accident that you know of. You are distracted doing any of the above wheather you care to admit it or not. I see this thing over 100 times everyday. Take solice in the fact that you are in the majority or "drivers" out there. You as most don't seem to care to pay any attention to what you should be. Anything you're doing to distract from your driving causes your vehicle to swerve, change lanes and sometimes do worse things. Just pay attention to what ya should be.
Perhaps if you were subject to the same rules and driving regulations that commercial drivers are, you and everyone would wake up.
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| July 7, 2010, 03:28 |
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ashkats
65 / couple
crystal falls, Michigan, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
i think we passed a no texting law,and now we got a state wide smoking band,a team mate i work with kid hit a tree while eating a slice of pizza,she got a ticket for inattentive driving, i sure if ya crash on the phone, I'm sure it might be the same thing, my brother got rear ended by a chic on the phone and got sued...she worked for a ins company, the same happen to us, we were stop behind a Pepsi truck and a tech school honny was racing some and on the phone,she hit us and the guy fish tailed and rear ended her and drove off...there sure was a lot of tire smoke.......i do agree there are a lot of stupid laws on the book and more being passed every day
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| July 7, 2010, 08:22 |
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kamarel
60 / male
Alexandria, Louisiana, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I have no problem with a no cell while driving law. People on the phone slow down, swerve, and drift. You have no idea how bad you drive when your on the phone. Your worse than someone drinking or getting high, becaquse you think because your not buzzed your ok. Your not. Pay attention to the road. I;m nearly to the point I will lay on my horn as I pass someone on a phone. and have a sign on the back as I pass them that says "Shut the F&^k up and drive."
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| July 7, 2010, 11:49 |
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evilscottsman
35 / male
Greensboro, North Carolina, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
My state has a no texting law, not a no phone law. I can understand the no texting law, but im not really on board with the no phone call law, especially if you have a headset. Part of this comes from me being a bit of a darwanist and being against big government, I just sort of frown everytime the state or the federal government has to tell us what is safe and what isnt again. Not that i dont see why they do, I just wish that people could figure it out on their own whether or not they can handle driving and talking at the same time. I've been on many long trips and called someone to keep me awake while i was driving. I know i and many others can handle driving and talking at the same time, and wish the government didn't have to regulate those who can't. but, c'est la vi
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| July 7, 2010, 11:55 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I harbor the same feelings as evilscotsman regarding regulations. And texting while driving is just plain stupid and irresponsible, regardless of any laws being in effect. When the law was passed here, it wasn't due to driver distraction, it was because your hand was holding the phone - BUT the caveat was that you could have it on speaker an talk while you hold it, you just cant hold it to your ear. What??? If I'm driving while holding a cup of coffee in my hand and talking to a passenger, it's perfectly legal. In my opinion, that's a potentially more problematic situation because if you're talking to a person in the passenger seat, you're more likely to look at them during the conversation. If a traffic situation occurs that requires both hands and you drop hot coffee on your crotch, you re more likely to lose control of the vehicle and make the situation far worse than dropping a phone.
I'm not boo-hoo-ing because I got a ticket. I've felt this way since this law was put in effect and to me, its nothing more than a money grab.
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| July 7, 2010, 12:22 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Actually, I don't care for any distractions while driving.
Drinking coffee, eating, phones....I was struck by a driver doing about 60 who was distracted by pushing his "favorites" presets on his truck radio to find a station, that accident involved him, us and and another vehicle. It took me over five years to heal those injuries just because he looked down for just a second.
There's allot going on out there, allot to look out for, tons of moving steel being navigated by distracted people.
So far, tests have shown that no matter how well you think you drive while talking on a phone, (even a headset)you're actually slowing down your reaction time, you're comparable to a drunk or drug impaired driver. That's the facts so far.
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| July 7, 2010, 12:43 |
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (Chazzy @ July 7, 2010, 12:43)Actually, I don't care for any distractions while driving.
Drinking coffee, eating, phones....I was struck by a driver doing about 60 who was distracted by pushing his "favorites" presets on his truck radio to find a station, that accident involved him, us and and another vehicle. It took me over five years to heal those injuries just because he looked down for just a second.
There's allot going on out there, allot to look out for, tons of moving steel being navigated by distracted people.
So far, tests have shown that no matter how well you think you drive while talking on a phone, (even a headset)you're actually slowing down your reaction time, you're comparable to a drunk or drug impaired driver. That's the facts so far.
This is 100 percent correct. It's the conversation that distracts, not holding the phone. Frankly, I'd like to see any phone use including texting subject to the same penalties as DUI. You're just as likely to cause a crash, serve, weave and generally drive the same. I posted about this before. The answer i got from the SD governers office was that the state patrol has the authority to charge a distracted driver the same as a DUI. They suggested that if i want this law, I should write my representative. Which I did.
Here's another point. If your call is so important, make sure ya make and receive 'em while you're having sex. After all, it's more important than what you're doing. 
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| July 7, 2010, 14:23 |
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funlovingpair
59 / couple
Frozen Tundra, Minnesota, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Many years ago there was, I did say "was" a young gal who was talking with her mother on the cell phone and ran a stop sign. The rather large dump truck had no chance of stopping in time. What a thing for your mother to hear on the phone.
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| July 7, 2010, 15:32 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I luv ya, Free...and I understand your side too, that allot of people are distracted by allot of things, personal problems, daydreaming, yard sale signs, etc...but it's the things we can do something about, like DUI, phone calls, texting that end up with laws.
We can't make laws like illegal to daydream, $500 fine for sign and billboard reading, must be in a good, agreeable mood and have had sufficient sleep in order to operate a motor vehicle, But we can instate laws for phones and texting, seat belts, speed limits, and although it does piss you off, and you yourself may not be or ever be a threat to others, this particular law itself is literally saving hundreds, maybe thousands of lives.
You're a very good man, free....but there are laws, and just as if you were speeding or littering, you got caught breaking a law.
Too many things kill and harm by distraction, spilling coffee, lighting a cigarette, eating, putting on makeup, fiddling with the radio, air, heat, things sliding off the dash,
So many things we can only deal with as consequences of the aftermath...charge people with careless driving, negligence.involuntary manslaughter, etc....anything we can do to avoid the "aftermath" part...I think we certainly should.
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| July 7, 2010, 18:05 |
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (evilscottsman @ July 7, 2010, 11:55)
.... I've been on many long trips and called someone to keep me awake while i was driving....
You know I also just adore you too, evil....but I really think there is something very wrong with part of your post.
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| July 7, 2010, 19:07 |
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Re: Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (Chazzy @ July 7, 2010, 19:07) QUOTE (evilscottsman @ July 7, 2010, 11:55)
.... I've been on many long trips and called someone to keep me awake while i was driving....
You know I also just adore you too, evil....but I really think there is something very wrong with part of your post.
(laughing) Whats funny about what evil said is that my friend that called me, called because he had a 45 minute drive home from work and was looking for conversation to break up the monotony of the ride!
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| July 7, 2010, 19:18 |
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thechunkyone
35 / male
elizabeth, New Jersey, US
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (freensleazy @ July 7, 2010, 19:18) QUOTE (Chazzy @ July 7, 2010, 19:07) QUOTE (evilscottsman @ July 7, 2010, 11:55)
.... I've been on many long trips and called someone to keep me awake while i was driving....
You know I also just adore you too, evil....but I really think there is something very wrong with part of your post.
(laughing) Whats funny about what evil said is that my friend that called me, called because he had a 45 minute drive home from work and was looking for conversation to break up the monotony of the ride!
he could sing to the radio... and blast th radio lol
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| July 7, 2010, 21:04 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Like the first line I wrote, I said I was probably in the minority here. Everyone made good points. I stand by mine and I also agree with what evilscotsman said too. However, a careless driver is a careless driver. I have to drive for my job and my phone is my office. And if Im faced with a potential distraction, be it a phone call, the radio or a burrito that Im trying not to spill on myself, my radar goes on alert. Just like anyone that loses a sense, the other senses become heightened. And trust me, I dont make a point of putting myself in those situations. But they do occur. And JCSOS drives for a living, but Im sure he has to use his CB. Nobody wants to see any accident for any reason and we should all avoid anything that would cause one, at all costs. And with that, I will shut my trap.
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| July 8, 2010, 02:43 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Yeah, truck drivers are driving these huge vehicles of great tonagae. I understand that as part of their job, they need to keep one step ahead of what's happening on the highways. Police, ambulance and fire trucks driver also have to deal with allot with distraction of radio commnications, onboard computers, all kinds of buttons and stuff like sirens and lights.
When I think about it,I have to say, in the hundred mile stretch of highway from my rural area to the city, I've won't see a truck driver actually using his radio while I will see dozen of private cars with drivers yakking away.
Many are so focused and this multi-tasking with their phone, they are oblivious to their slower reaction time and swerving.
Evil, if you're too tired to drive, pull over, you're impaired. There's only one remedy for lack of sleep and that sleep. 
The minority that think they can talk and drive and the same time, the majority feels otherwise, that's why there are new laws now... so if you want to drive and use your phone then you understand the consequences if you're caught, and the odds are pretty good you will...cuz everyone owns a cell phone, and if you're driving while on the phone, there's a good chance someone who sees you, will pull over, park their car long enough to turn on their phone and report you. Things have changed, it is no longer legal in most states to drive while using a phone.
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| July 8, 2010, 13:29 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I'd like to add. At 60 mph, you're moving at one mile per minute, or 88 ft per second. Most people drive faster than that on any highway. So, if you're distracted for one second you've gone at least 88 feet.
In town, there are far more hazards than other vehicles.
I hope i don't have to explain this further.
It wasn't that many years ago that DWI/DUI didn't exsist. Should we ignore that as well? It's not that different.
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| July 8, 2010, 14:50 |
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (JCSOS @ July 8, 2010, 14:50)... At 60 mph, you're moving at one mile per minute, or 88 ft per second. ....So, if you're distracted for one second you've gone at least 88 feet.
Ohhhh wow...that's burned into my mind now.
I got a much newer car last year, it has that radio feature, you know....on the radio face it runs text information like what band and song title is currently playing...which is fine for the passenger. I'm sure this feature is responsible for hits and near misses out on the roads.
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| July 8, 2010, 17:40 |
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evilscottsman
35 / male
Greensboro, North Carolina, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Chazzy I adore and respect you too, but that doesnt change my opinion on the matter. I don't complain that they made texting while driving illegal in my state, talking and driving is still legal. If they ever make it illegal i'll stop doing it, i dont make a habit of it anyways. But I think we've all had times when we're drowsy and could sleep(im not talking about literally about to pass out). I don't see anything wrong with calling someone for a few mins to keep the thoughts turning. Blasting the radio or rolling down your windows doesnt always work. I can have a conversation with someone in my car, i dont see the difference in talking on a headset. If someone here never talks to people who ride in their car with them... well you're a special breed of angel.
Studies have shown that you're distracted you say, well i've studied many studies and id have to see the data myself to really have any faith in it, anyone who's ever had a course in statistics knows how easily numbers are messed with. Not that i dont believe there is a certain ammount of distraction involved, im dont see it being equal to heavy ammounts of alcohol.
Lastly I think the idea that phone charges while driving should be equal to a DUI is, with respect to the author, ludicrous. Getting a DUI can ruin many careers and has long standing and severe penalties, It would would destroy my career point blank. Not that i disagree with that. But to say that phone penalties should carry the same charge? I think thats an extreme brand of justice in a country I wouldnt want to live in.
In summary a lot of this goes back to the idea that its the goverments job to tell us whats right or wrong, well it bothers me as an intelligent human being that we need a law for everything. I think making it illegal to talk on the phone while driving is a bit too far, if that law is made in my state I will follow it. I won't reiterate my reasons for thinking that talking on the phone while driving is ok for the average person, my last post said all that. If you can't drive on the phone and stay conscious of whats around you then you shouldn't do it. Not to sound like an ass but i've been trained to command a platoon under fire orchestrating the movements of three squads totaling 42 men all at one time, after that sort of multi tasking talking and driving seems manageable.
respect to all my opponents in this debate.
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| July 9, 2010, 12:02 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
"Lastly I think the idea that phone charges while driving should be equal to a DUI is, with respect to the author, ludicrous. Getting a DUI can ruin many careers and has long standing and severe penalties, It would would destroy my career point blank. Not that i disagree with that. But to say that phone penalties should carry the same charge? I think thats an extreme brand of justice in a country I wouldnt want to live in."
Perhaps you should tell that to the families of construction workers or others that have been killed by phone use in a car.
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| July 9, 2010, 12:17 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Actually, I don't talk unnecessarily while I'm driving...geez, around here it's not just other drivers ya gotta watch for, it's wild turkey, deer, woodland creatures of all kinds... cows, horses, goats that found in a breech in the farmers fence, large dogs, washed out areas of the road that weren't there before the recent rains and flash floods, and many other numerous hazards...
Anyway, not to be the deadhorsebeater for once....I'll prove that I don't have to always be so long winded by closing with this...
I am very certain that in every state of this nation, that it is illegal to break the law.
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| July 9, 2010, 12:42 |
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ashkats
65 / couple
crystal falls, Michigan, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
i had one day i was stopped at a light on the miracle mile with a semi behind me in the inside lane.i get the green and head south across the intersection that has raised medians, some women in a van coming from the west comes out of the right turn slot ,comes right over into the inside lane were i was, shes got the windows up and a cell phone stuck in her ear,i lay on the cycles horn she's still merging over my way and i have nowere to go but up on the center curb.. so what do ya do kick dents in her van or lock up the brakes and hope the truck dont run me over lol
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| July 9, 2010, 15:19 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
EEEEEEKKKK 
Wear a helmet! (Gawd, I'm such a Mother Hen) ...and make sure ya'all leave the house with clean underwear!
Some of you, I said...some of you have no business yakkin' on the phone while you drive....I've see ya'all at Walmart, ya can't even handle pushing a shopping cart while you distracted on the phone.
So...ya know...if think you can handle it better than other fail-able humans, then you won't get caught, cuz you won't be distracted and you'll see the cop before he sees you, and you'll be able to react quickly to avoid any fines or tickets.
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| July 9, 2010, 15:40 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Its nice to have some kinda conversations going on in the forums again. It was kinda quiet in here for a while! But I think we should go back to favorite movies, TV shows etc..   
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| July 9, 2010, 16:21 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
My last post, was meant to be light, I've been in a froggy mood and that's the way my humor rolls, and I should have thrown in a few emoticons.
Maybe a summary?
1. If you knowingly break a law and get caught...well, boo hoo!
2. Driving is a huge responsibility.
3. Yes, it's a shame we have to have so many laws, at one time, putting infants and children in car seats was a choice, a very good smart choice, but nooooo....we had to make a law about that because people don't always make good smart choices and the government by demand of the people, have to step in.
4. Regarding the "same as a DUI charges" issue, yes...would be extreme on a standard level, but if someone has a history of being ticketed for "illegal cell phone use" but ends up causing harm and mayhem to others and property by breaking the no phone law again...maybe not so ludicris eh?
5. Dear Evil...it was just the one sentence I quoted from your post, just came off as "just not right"...and of course, anything out of context doesn't merit much attention. I know the kind of person you are, I'd feel safe with you in the driver's seat.
6. For crying out loud, will some one please, please find out and explain the lighter law Free also mentioned????? I don't get that one.
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| July 10, 2010, 16:06 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
No, I didn't mean that there was a lighter law, I meant that (most) newer cars don't have cigarette lighters, or for that matter, ash trays any more.
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| July 10, 2010, 17:53 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Ahhhhh! Sorry, I misunderstood that....my car is a 2004, it has a lighter and ashtray, it's never been used and hubs knows no smoking in my car, he understands, nothing devalues a car faster than cigarette smoke.
Doesn't bother me either if he wants to pull over, get out and smoke one when we are on the road.
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| July 10, 2010, 19:34 |
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wantubad2
54 / male
white creek, New York, US
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (Chazzy @ July 10, 2010, 19:34)Ahhhhh! Sorry, I misunderstood that....my car is a 2004, it has a lighter and ashtray, it's never been used and hubs knows no smoking in my car, he understands, nothing devalues a car faster than cigarette smoke.
Doesn't bother me either if he wants to pull over, get out and smoke one when we are on the road.
Just wanted to mention Chazzy,,If you get your hubby a E Cigerette..You won't even have to pull over for him to smoke.Just crack the window to let out the water vapor that is emitted from them,There is no smell at all,,what looks like smoke from them is not.
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| July 11, 2010, 14:59 |
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evilscottsman
35 / male
Greensboro, North Carolina, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
a relevant point, but people die, of all sorts of things. People will always die, I think the government should do its best to prevent it, but there is a balance between law and safety. Liberty and justice. The insinuation that it is just as irresponsible to drink and drive as it is to talk on a phone and drive seems overly zealous to me.
Its not the governments job to keep everyone alive, its the Governments job to govern. Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself. Thats just how I feel. We live in a very secure country that protects us from the state of nature, not everyone has that luxury, We are insulated from many forms of death that the rest of the world is not. As Hobbes said, "life is nasty, brutish, and short."
And in my opinion, in your example, they weren't killed by phone use, they were killed by an irresponsible person. I have enjoyed the debate, I understand you all have your opinions and I respect them.
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| July 12, 2010, 18:57 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I have searched online, I have seen endless links, websites, pages and pages of search results...with all the statistics gathered from at least the past 5 years, all from a variety of sources. I'm sorry....but the numbers and the data collected show one sure thing, over and over.
No one no matter how well trained, how responsible, how talented, how intelligent they are...a person will still be distracted while carrying on a conversation on a cell phone. That's just the way the human brain operates.
I can't agree that the Big G is ripping away our liberties on this particular law...these new laws come from...us.
Us, the majority that know it's dangerous and irresponsible to drive while on the phone. We wanted this law, we demanded it, and we are liking it.
I dunno what's wrong with us, we can't make a simple commute, do the point A to point B without a cell phone conversation? I mean, unless you're like that Jack Bauer doode and you have to call in the exact co-ordinates of the dirty bomb...what the hell?
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| July 13, 2010, 00:39 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I keep sayin, Im sorry I brought this up. I have VERY definite opinions on this, and I learned more about this today. But again, I will shut my mouth. Next thing ya know, I will have the right to remain silent - but I wont have the ability! LOL!
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| July 13, 2010, 02:33 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Oh hell, it's just a fun debate. I mean that's the way I feel about it...if I bring in a Jack Bauer reference, you know I can't really be that serious...
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| July 13, 2010, 10:58 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Oh, Jack will definitely be missed!!!!!!!!!!
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| July 13, 2010, 12:28 |
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (evilscottsman @ July 12, 2010, 18:57)a relevant point, but people die, of all sorts of things. People will always die, I think the government should do its best to prevent it, but there is a balance between law and safety. Liberty and justice. The insinuation that it is just as irresponsible to drink and drive as it is to talk on a phone and drive seems overly zealous to me.
Its not the governments job to keep everyone alive, its the Governments job to govern. Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself. That's just how I feel. We live in a very secure country that protects us from the state of nature, not everyone has that luxury, We are insulated from many forms of death that the rest of the world is not. As Hobbes said, "life is nasty, brutish, and short."
And in my opinion, in your example, they weren't killed by phone use, they were killed by an irresponsible person. I have enjoyed the debate, I understand you all have your opinions and I respect them.
Ya, and guns don't kill people, people do. I'd expected this sort of response. Check with the state of IL and most others. IL has made phone use in construction illegal. No leniency either. Just as many states have made $10,000 fines and prison for injuring/ killing a construction worker.
I guess it's a matter of priorities. If you're only concerned with your own goings on and not concerned for your safety and the safety of those around ya, Please feel free to keep talkin and driving at the same time. Never mind the weaving and speed changes. I'm sure you don't do that though. Of course, you wouldn't notice as you're too involved in your conversation. I'm not sure about other drivers here. I drive over 10,000 miles per month. In those travels I have to avoid an average of 20 people per day on phones. With or without headset. But, it's ok, I'm sure you don't do those things. You said you didn't 
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| July 14, 2010, 00:17 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
On some of our roads and highways, we have those bumpy nubby tire track impressions in the center line and on each side, so...if you wander off to the shoulder, or over the center just a tiny bit.....it rattles you, and makes a really obnoxious noise.
Are they doing that everywhere now? It's mostly on long stretches of two lane highways here.
They need more of those simulator tests, you drive with the simulator first with no distraction and your score is recorded, then while carrying on an actual conversation on the cell phone.
Ah Free...I know, you said it, you said you wished you hadn't brough it up....  Don't look like it's gonna go away anytime soon...
How did you even end up getting this ticket anyway, did you do anything that caught the cop's attention or was the cell phone all it took?
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| July 14, 2010, 00:38 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
If I seem testy about this, excuse me.
I'm very sick of people that no longer drive. They get behind the wheel, put it in drive and aim it [sort of] down the road.
They are putting on makeup, talking on the phone, [in some cases looking for paperwork at the same time] reading books, newspapers or other material, blindly following a GPS and ignoring what it tells them to do next, before they get there, watching a tv or dvd. The list is much longer. However, few seem to understand that they aren't only risking thier lives. It's the lives of everyone around them as well.
If there isn't anything wrong with this, then perhaps it's ok for the parents in thier minivan to be driving 80+ mph weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating and cutting people off. All while they have thier young kids in the same van. They think thier saving time. Ya, right. Why should the government do anything about that? It's infringing on the parents freedoms.
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| July 14, 2010, 00:39 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
As far as I know, it was just the cell phone, although, my vehicle may have had something to do with it. But I wasnt speeding, I didnt buzz a red light. I drove that same stretch tonight and saw 4 people on phones. And they were only the ones that I saw. And this guy literally flew at me. He came outta no where, up the median in a 4 lane area, sirens and lights on. It was quite a bit of overkill. I purposely pulled into a restaurant parking lot, mostly for his safety. About a year ago, I was behind a semi on the same road, at a red light. We were both in the left lane and in a 30 mph zone. As the truck was going thru its gears, I looked behind me to my right, it was clear and I switched lanes, only to find a cop that had some one pulled over. Fortunatley, there was a parking lot I was able to quickly turn in to in order to avoid hitting him. I couldda killed the poor guy, and I didnt do anything illegal.
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| July 14, 2010, 01:22 |
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User no longer registered.
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Do you commute to work most days? Is it a long commute?
I don't have to drive much, and since it's all small town stuff around here, just two lane highways. My town is so small, we don't have a cop.
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| July 14, 2010, 02:14 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Yeah, I drive there every day, but its only about 2 miles. I used to do about 20,000 a year. A lot of times I would wake up in the morning and have to remind myself not only what hotel I was in, but also what city. But business changed and now, I do about 1/3 of that.
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| July 14, 2010, 10:56 |
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evilscottsman
35 / male
Greensboro, North Carolina, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
I don't care if you get testy and make grand assumptions and insinuations, I still respect you're opinion, its a valid one. However I also still disagree with it. Not with your assertion that it should be illegal, but with your assertion that the penalties should be as sever as that of a DUI. But hey, you're right, if Illinois did it then it must be right, a state government has got to be. I'll ignore the firearms comment because thats just an issue I don't want to get into.
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| July 14, 2010, 19:33 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Okay...Can we back it up a bit?
Seriously, you cannot respect an opinion that you think of and refer to as "grand assumptions and insinuations"
Because right now....I think that grand assumptions and insinuations is a finger that can be pointed in several directions here.
I know this is a serious hot issue with you and JC,
Free and I are also have extreme opposite opinions on this too, but we're making it work out fine. (Aren't we Free?)
Someone, either one of you (if not both of you)....needs to rise above,be the better man and start dialing it back a bit please.
I said "please" 
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| July 14, 2010, 20:34 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Ok, I've been holding back. Yes, in NY, cell phone use is illegal while driving. It's a law. I broke the law. However, I disagree with the law. The way it was passed here, it was done in an overnight session. With so many people using phones, our broke State saw a way that they could make money from it and jump on it. And yes, some people will be distracted. These are careless drivers anyway, otherwise, they would realize that they were distracted and hang up the phone. Its very probable that they're going to cause an accident at some point anyway because they drive irresponsibly. As I said before, texting while driving is flat out stupid. It's tantamount to reading the newspaper while driving.
I also believe that the seat belt law is wrong. Does it make sense to wear one? Sure it does. But I believe that should be an individual choice, not a law. Hell, smoking could be considered a distraction and there's actually an idiot here trying to ban smoking while driving.
Now, lets talk about motor cycles. From all of the information I've been able to find, they're involved (I didn't say responsible for, I said involved) in more traffic fatalities than people TALKING (not texting)on their cell phones. Also, there's no seat belt on a bike. In some States, helmets aren't even required. But don't tell me that when I'm in my truck without a seat belt on, with 4000 pounds of steel around me, that I am less safe than some idiot weaving in and out of traffic on a crotch rocket and because I don't have it on, I deserve a ticket. Nope friends, that is a self serving law for the State to dig into your pockets. I don't disagree with seat belts, I just don't think it should be a law
And yes, most bikers are very safe. Most bike fatalities are caused by cars. But if the laws were really to protect us, then by that way of thinking, motorcycles should be banned from the roads too.
Like evilscotsman very eloquently said, every one makes excellent points. I respect your points of view, as well as your opinions. And I thank you for doing the same regarding mine
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| July 14, 2010, 21:10 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Test yourselves....sit down in front of your TV, while having a conversation on your phone. Try to give both equal and full attention.
You may be able to catch enough of the TV program to kinda get the gist and fill in the rest, but you will not be able to accurately recall material, facts... maybe some of the primary things but not all and not secondary things. You will miss allot and the phone conversation will suffer from you inattention. It's not humanly possible to commit your full attention to both, I said full, not half assed attention, c'mon, ya don't have to admit to it, but you know, it's at least a little bit true.
If any human had some sort of tingly spidey stuff going on, was of a superior species....
At least, when you talking to a passenger, they are also looking at the road and they will screech out a "OH SHIT!!!" warning to you when facing the threat or hazard...a person on the other end of your cell phone can't do that.
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| July 14, 2010, 21:22 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
At least, when you talking to a passenger, they are also looking at the road and they will screech out a "OH SHIT!!!" warning to you when facing the threat or hazard...a person on the other end of your cell phone can't do that.
(laughing) Youre too damn funny!
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| July 14, 2010, 21:33 |
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ashkats
65 / couple
crystal falls, Michigan, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
we had two close calls again yesterday, we took a ride to Oshkosh by gosh and was almost ran off the road twice again, buy two cars the first on was pulling a boat or some kind of trailer but the windows are up and a cell phone stuck in his ear, too lazy to turn his head and checking to see if someone was there... like us and I'm going off the edge of the cement onto the 2 foot wide blacktop with the lines that go thump thump thump when ya ride on it and then the grass, time to drop down a gear and crack the throttle and let the eagle scream.it sure wakes people up and I'm sure they layed a egg....
the next one almost the same thing , hwy 45 goes east to the left or right to the west, I'm going to the east and their going west , so i thought i mean the road forks and here they come , right over into me across all the painted lines and here i going off the edge again....i just love to let the eagle scream and watch him swallow his cigar...
at least this one didnt have a phone stuck in his ear.....
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| July 15, 2010, 00:22 |
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User no longer registered.
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (evilscottsman @ July 14, 2010, 19:33)I don't care if you get testy and make grand assumptions and insinuations, I still respect you're opinion, its a valid one. However I also still disagree with it. Not with your assertion that it should be illegal, but with your assertion that the penalties should be as sever as that of a DUI. But hey, you're right, if Illinois did it then it must be right, a state government has got to be. I'll ignore the firearms comment because thats just an issue I don't want to get into.
It's not my assumption. It's not Illinois assumption. It's all fact. Facts which you've seem to chose to ignore. The states are the ones that have to tackle issues such as this. So, since it hasn't happened in NC then, I guess everyone else is wrong. Oh, well. Perhaps you could write or email IL or any state and ask why they have or are going to impose no cell phone use while driving. I've seen you wrote that you'd have to see the studies. Well, that's where ya have to look. There and the insurance companies.
I feel that if the driving result is the same as DUI then the penalty should be the same. It's that simple. Most people dont pay attention to thier driving anyway. If they seriously injure or kill someone because they were involved in thier conversation and not paying attention to thier driving, the penalty should be the same. No reasonable reason wny not. It's called vehicular manslaughter in some states.
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| July 15, 2010, 23:42 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Free, I do agree there's many laws that shouldn't be. Seatblet use is one of many. There are also laws we have that are necessary that we shouldn't have to have. One is moving over or slowing for stopped law or emergency vehicle. Keeping right except to pass. Those are the two main ones that come to mind. Both of those should be common sense.
I'd like to see cars made like they were in the 1960-1970s. Nice solid frame that has no "crush points" I think that when people realize they can die in a car, they'll drive better. I know, it'll never happen. Besides, they'd higher an ambulace chaser to sue the auto comapny.
There's more than enough to distract one while driving whithout goin' out of your way. As I've said before, most people don't pay attention to thier driving. Wheather or not on a phone. They don't [won't] even read the speedometer. Cann't reach that little lever on the left of the steering wheel to let others know they're going to turn or change lanes. I know I'm off topic.
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| July 15, 2010, 23:57 |
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newbie1011
62 / female
The Shore, New Jersey, US
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Interesting that everybody gets so worked up over this and mostly for personal reasons . If you got hit by someone putting makeup on while driving most would say there should be a law against it. I think the truth is that what we all want is a law against STUPIDITY. If you are doing something stupid while your driving then you should get a ticket at very least. However its all to subjective. Don't most people think they are good drivers? I think we all know the truth is NO YOUR NOT ALL GOOD DRIVERS. The fact is that new studies show that talking on a cell phone is no more distracting than most other things like talking to the passenger next to you in the car, DIALING AND TEXTING is different because you take you eyes off the road. I live in NJ and we have some of the toughest laws on this stuff and Graduated licenses for new drivers which have even more restrictions. We have to realize that there are some people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time and some who can. Don't take a chance would be what I would say. Unfortunately we can't regulate everything because people are stupid. AND WE SHOULDN'T! Arizona actually has the STUPID PEOPLE law and its for people who do things like drive through a wash when it looks like a raging river then need to be rescued.When do we stop? or do we write laws for every stupid act a person can do when driving or anything else. Someone just had a accident while he was getting head.(HE WAS DISTRACTED. Really?) Do we have a law against that? I know someone who drove under a tractor trailer because he looked at the radio for a second to change the station.He barely survived. Cars still have radios and much more complicated than ever I might add.They even have DVD players in the front for the driver. There is no great solution to this problem unless we just don't allow idiots to drive and that's a hole different issue. Imagine an IQ test at DMV ! I BET WE WOULD HAVE A LOT LESS CARS ON THE ROAD. Remember "common-sense" is an oxymoron.This issue wont go away anytime soon.
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| July 16, 2010, 05:12 |
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kamarel
60 / male
Alexandria, Louisiana, US
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Re: Re: Pissed me right off!
QUOTE (newbie1011 @ July 16, 2010, 05:12) what we all want is a law against STUPIDITY. .
Yes we do and it should be a capital offense.
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| July 16, 2010, 11:40 |
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Re: Pissed me right off!
Newbie said it all. I was sugar coating things by using words like "irresponsible" and "careless", but she just blurted it right out, and hit the nail on the head - STUPIDITY! And you cant legislate that away!
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| July 16, 2010, 12:06 |
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