Cops: Texting, talking tow-trucker hits car, pool

[The Guard]

Yes. You shouldn't be texting while driving though. It's stupid. You're life isn't so important that you need to do it while driving.

"Shouldn't" and "stupid" are fairly relevative. By that logic, we shouldn't do ANYTHING while driving for fear of crashing.

And no, human beings aren't intelligent enough

So, despite the fact that, oh, probably thousands of people as a conservative estimate, do it, the two or three that you see in the news who did it and also didn't watch the road at the time means that the human race isn't intelligent enough to potentially handle such a task safely?

Why should other people be put in danger just so you can reply "ROLF" to your friend?

Interesting. You assume I am putting people in danger any significant degree more than usual. Based on...what, exactly?

Why!? What the hell is so important that can't wait until you get out of a moving vehicle? Seriously!

Most of the time, my wife has just texted me something like "I love you", and I text back "I love you" or "love" in the span of, oh, a second or so while I am stopped, or traveling slowly, or away from other traffic.

 

[Obi-Ron]

I can't believe anyone would find this selfish, obnoxious, unnecessary and dangerous habit worth defending. You just can't put it down and wait five minutes for an appropriate time? :facepalm

It doesn't matter how "safe" and "smart" you think you are, PLEASE WATCH THE ROAD.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

"Shouldn't" and "stupid" are fairly relevative. By that logic, we shouldn't do ANYTHING while driving for fear of crashing.

Anything where you have to look away from the road shouldn't done.

So, despite the fact that, oh, probably thousands of people as a conservative estimate, do it, the two or three that you see in the news who did it and also didn't watch the road at the time means that the human race isn't intelligent enough to potentially handle such a task safely?

The human race isn't intelligent for a lot of reasons.

Interesting. You assume I am putting people in danger any significant degree more than usual. Based on...what, exactly?

The fact that you're using a phone and texting which is distracting you from driving. Don't give me this "I'm keeping one eye on the road" nonsense either.

Most of the time, my wife has just texted me something like "I love you", and I text back "I love you" or "love" in the span of, oh, a second or so while I am stopped, or traveling slowly, or away from other traffic.

Yeah, it's so goddamn important to text back "I love you." No way can that wait

 

[Master Chief]

How was he driving with 2 cell phones.

 

[The Guard]

With his knees?

Anything where you have to look away from the road shouldn't done.

So we shouldn't blink, yawn, check the mirrors...

The fact that you're using a phone and texting which is distracting you from driving. Don't give me this "I'm keeping one eye on the road" nonsense either.

I didn't say "Keeping one eye on the road". I said "Keeping an eye on the road". It has a very distinct meaning. It means "Watching the road closely".

 

[Spidey-Bat]

With his knees?

Real safe

So we shouldn't blink, yawn, check the mirrors...

Blinking is a necessary function which takes miliseconds. I yawn with my eyes open. You use mirrors to look at the road. I didn't say you have to look straight ahead.

I didn't say "Keeping one eye on the road". I said "Keeping an eye on the road". It has a very distinct meaning. It means "Watching the road closely".

You can't watch the road closely if you're texting.

 

[SpideyInATree]

What about eating while driving, dirving soda while drinking, smoking a cigarette, changing the radio, using a GPS?

Eating while driving is stupid. Just like those stupid women I see in rush hour traffic driving and doing their makeup at the same time because they want to save time.

Though I smoke when I drive sometimes and it's nothing like texting and driving. I have complete control of my vehicle smoking.

Changing a radio station...ugh. Give me a break. If you can't pay attention to the road while hitting a button then you shouldn't even be driving in the first place.

I don't have a GPS. I think those are the dumbest inventions. People need to use this thing...it's been around for decades and decades...it's called a map.

As for driving soda while drinking? That just sounds impossible you might want to get back to us on that one.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Driving a soda while drinking? .

I was type drunking.

It's entirely possible to text and drive safely, just as it's possible to talk on the phone and drive, eat and drive, tuning the radio while driving, etc, etc, etc.

The issue isn't driving and texting. The issue is stupid people doing it, I.E, talking on one phone and texting on another in a manner that causes you not to watch the road or hold onto the wheel of the car. Stupid people has always been the issue.

Now watching where you're going is not watching where you're going.

I agree. Banning texting while driving isn't going to solve a problem as it is using a cellphone or doing any non driving related activity while driving will come up in a police report if you're in an accident or get stopped.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Eating while driving is stupid. Just like those stupid women I see in rush hour traffic driving and doing their makeup at the same time because they want to save time.

Though I smoke when I drive sometimes and it's nothing like texting and driving. I have complete control of my vehicle smoking.

Changing a radio station...ugh. Give me a break. If you can't pay attention to the road while hitting a button then you shouldn't even be driving in the first place.

I don't have a GPS. I think those are the dumbest inventions. People need to use this thing...it's been around for decades and decades...it's called a map.

As for driving soda while drinking? That just sounds impossible you might want to get back to us on that one.

What I'm saying is that many people have complete control of their vehicles while texting.

 

[Obi-Ron]

What I'm saying is that many people have complete control of their vehicles while texting.

But they don't have total awareness of their surroundings.

 

[Wiseman]

This thread makes me want to drink and drive while texting, just so I can be the most dangerous mother****er on the road

 

[SpideyInATree]

What I'm saying is that many people have complete control of their vehicles while texting.

Yes and no. I've texted in my car. But I was either at a red light or sitting in a parking spot. I don't even talk on my cell phone while driving. I consider myself a very good driver but even talking on the phone I don't really have all my awareness on the road. And anybody who tells you that they have complete awareness while talking on a cell phone and driving is a liar. Because it's impossible.

Unless you're Superman...

 

[Majic Walrus]

But they don't have total awareness of their surroundings.

You don't have to be a Zen Master to be a safe driver.

Yes and no. I've texted in my car. But I was either at a red light or sitting in a parking spot. I don't even talk on my cell phone while driving. I consider myself a very good driver but even talking on the phone I don't really have all my awareness on the road. And anybody who tells you that they have complete awareness while talking on a cell phone and driving is a liar. Because it's impossible.

Unless you're Superman...

The point is that you don't need complete awareness. Far more dangerous than texting is driving while drowsy.

 

[SpideyInATree]

You don't have to be a Zen Master to be a safe driver.



The point is that you don't need complete awareness. Far more dangerous than texting is driving while drowsy.

You don't need completely awareness when driving? Where do you drive at? Because in the places I drive you need to have completely awareness or your ass is going to get into an accident.

 

[Majic Walrus]

You don't need completely awareness when driving? Where do you drive at? Because in the places I drive you need to have completely awareness or your ass is going to get into an accident.

You don't need to be completely aware and you cannot possibly be completely aware when you're listening to music or drinking coffee or anything.

 

[The Guard]

Seems to me that trying to define or quantify "complete awareness" is splitting hairs. People have different levels of awareness to begin with, and different situations require different levels of awareness and reaction time, which again, people have different levels of.

There are no guarantees when you're driving, period. You can be as alert and ready as possible and still have an accident for a number of reasons. Is it a good idea to lessen risk as much as possible? Yes, but it is entirely possible to do things other than drive while driving, drive safely, and not have an accident. Millions of people have been doing it for hundreds of years.

Blinking is a necessary function which takes miliseconds. I yawn with my eyes open. You use mirrors to look at the road. I didn't say you have to look straight ahead.

Sneezing, then.

If you don't have to look straight ahead, what's the issue?

Point is, there are going to be times in your vehicle when you aren't entirely focused on driving for whatever reason. If your attention is off the road for any period of time, wouldn't that create more risk? For that matter, it's more dangerous to drive in rain and snow simply due to the effect the elements have on your perceptions and snow? Is driving in rain and snow also irresponsible and selfish?

Changing a radio station...ugh. Give me a break. If you can't pay attention to the road while hitting a button then you shouldn't even be driving in the first place.

I see. So why is it an issue to hit small buttons that are much closer to you (in your hand), then?

I don't have a GPS. I think those are the dumbest inventions. People need to use this thing...it's been around for decades and decades...it's called a map.

A map always seemed to me inherently more dangerous to look at while driving than a GPS, which generally just gives you directions as you drive, instead of forcing you to look at the map, as many people have done, and continue to do.

 

[SuperFerret]

Honestly, the only thing people should be doing while driving is driving, and there's still a majority of idiots out there that **** that up. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they've got to make getting a driver's license much more difficult.

 

[The Guard]

A majority of idiots? That has not been my driving experience at all.

 

[SuperFerret]

Maybe my opinion is shaded as a pedestrian, but it's my experience that most drivers are just as stupid as most people (which makes sense). Whether it's speeding up so you scrape the bottom of your car on a speed bump next to a school, peeling out at a green light only to hit a red light in 20 yards, backing down a one way street (because One Way must mean the way you face, not move) or any of the other stupid crap I've seen people do behind the wheel, it all equals the need to restrict driver's licenses.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

Driving a soda while drinking? .

It's entirely possible to text and drive safely, just as it's possible to talk on the phone and drive, eat and drive, tuning the radio while driving, etc, etc, etc.

The issue isn't driving and texting. The issue is stupid people doing it, I.E, talking on one phone and texting on another in a manner that causes you not to watch the road or hold onto the wheel of the car. Stupid people has always been the issue.

Now watching where you're going is not watching where you're going.

This here.

I text while driving all the time. I've never been in an accident. Why? Because I never take my eyes off the road while texting.

I know my phone's keypad by heart, so I never need to look down while typing out my text message, in the same way that I know my computer's keypad by heart and don't have to look at my keyboard (or even my computer screen) while typing on the computer.