Pet Peeve

[moreluck]

I have this pet peeve and it bothers me to no end. It's people talking on cell phones while they are driving.

I think our national motto should be, "Hang up and drive!!"

Yesterday we entered our plaza where the grocery store is located. The main entrance comes to a "T". The folks entering have no stop sign and have the right of way. The folks on the left & right sides have a stop sign and have to wait for traffic to clear.

This lady in a blue van from the left, talking on her cell phone, just ran the stop sign as we were turning right. We almost ran into her.....well, Bob made it a close call to maybe get her attention as to what she just did. She had no clue.

Anyway, she parks where we park and she's headed to the Starbucks just like we are. I decided I was going to say something to this woman as soon as she hangs up to ask her if she even realizes that she ran a stop sign.

I am in line in front of her at Starbucks and she's still gabbing to someone about interest rates and sounding very important. She waited in line, ordered and paid for her coffee, and then headed out the store never shutting up. I never had a chance to say anything and I was all ready and prepared. Damn !!

I am convinced that the attention level of the cell phone-talking drivers is severly reduced. They are in a fog. When you are concentrating on speaking, you are not paying attention to the road and the cars around you!!

This is just my venting, but it really does bother me. Please don't do it as you risk hurting someone besides yourself......LIKE ME !!!!!

Thanks for reading!
Joyce

 

[Sammie]

Maybe I'm too much of a backer of Big Brother sometimes.

My husband and I thoroughly disagree over this argument, even though he's been driving for this company for 32 years and has seen more than his fair share of injuries and fatalities
out on the road.

His feelings: no one should tell anyone else to wear a helmet, or a seat belt, or not to talk on a cell phone while driving. If they want to be morons, let them be morons. Leave them alone.

After a trauma nurse friend of mine explained the condition of a patient who came in, hadn't been wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle and his head was split open like a watermelon...

I have no problem with Big Brother hammering you if you don't wear a helmet, or a seat belt and I hope there's future legislation concerning cell phones. If this is what it takes to
prevent one more injury or one more death, I'm all for it....

Here are some stats on cell phones while driving:

LiveScience.com - Drivers on Cell Phones Kill Thousands, Snarl Traffic

 

[RockyRogue]

Maybe I'm too much of a backer of Big Brother sometimes.

My husband and I thoroughly disagree over this argument, even though he's been driving for this company for 32 years and has seen more than his fair share of injuries and fatalities
out on the road.

No, you're not a backer of "Big Brother." I don't drive anymore but when I did, I pulled over when my cell went off. I never drove while talking. A momentary distraction could spell disaster. And if you've driven with teens in the last several years, you might have noticed something: they like to drive with their thigh!! My sister was talking on her cell phone one day AND doing that!! I d*mn near had a coronary. I was 21 at the time!

And Sammie, every UPS driver I worked with carried a cell. One had it go off while driving and when I told him I thought his cell was going off, he said, "Yeah, I hear it. I'm not answering it while I'm driving." I see UPS drivers with these blue-tooth things now or other attachments for ears. I'm withholding judgement on those for now. In any event, UPS should make it a policy that cell's can only be utilized while driving with an ear accessory OR while stopped. I'm a vocal advocate for the latter. -Rocky

 

[Channahon]

Construction that goes on for miles, and miles, and miles and miles, and for a short stretch of road, there may be some workers. I have to put myself in another place, and not get annoyed to the point of stressing me out. I have to remember I am retired now, so I have the time to crawl with other traffic.
When I was working and had to get home, that was a different story. Luckily, I always had an atlas with me for secondary roads.

 

[toonertoo]

No, you're not a backer of "Big Brother." I don't drive anymore but when I did, I pulled over when my cell went off. I never drove while talking. A momentary distraction could spell disaster. And if you've driven with teens in the last several years, you might have noticed something: they like to drive with their thigh!! My sister was talking on her cell phone one day AND doing that!! I d*mn near had a coronary. I was 21 at the time!

And Sammie, every UPS driver I worked with carried a cell. One had it go off while driving and when I told him I thought his cell was going off, he said, "Yeah, I hear it. I'm not answering it while I'm driving." I see UPS drivers with these blue-tooth things now or other attachments for ears. I'm withholding judgement on those for now. In any event, UPS should make it a policy that cell's can only be utilized while driving with an ear accessory OR while stopped. I'm a vocal advocate for the latter. -Rocky

Cell phone talkers are oblivious, if they stop for a light, they forget to go, God forbid they could use a turn signal, either, A highly skilled driver will pull over. Now if Im driving my own truck on an open road, I may take a call. When I am driving the UPS truck, never. The number is there I can call them back.
Nothing like seeing a kid driving a semi, trying to hold his phone, his truck, and talk. Its not about govt, its about being safe, and cell phones are not safe. Its like trying to hold a baby and drive, it dont work. We need to put them down in their car seat/holder when driving, and drive.