Cell phones are making riding too dangerous...

Per Crescentius Vespasianus:

Quoted message said:

Eventually they pass, too close and then
I see they are talking on the damn cell
phone. Pileups with cars, is more
common now too, as these chatterboxes
run into each other on a regular basis.
I think the cell phone is the worst
development for bicyclists, because it's
almost everyone on the road now.

If you think the talkers are dangerous, wait until you've seen a
few doing text messaging and/or email.... -)

All I can think of is that some people are a *lot* better at
multiprocessing than I am - because I wouldn't last a week doing
some of the stuff I see drivers doing every day.
--
PeteCresswell

For the life of me, I can't figure out
why people want to talk on phone, while
their driving. It's 1 out of 3 cars
here, and it's really making riding
hell. The drivers are getting closer,
they make poor decisions, and they do
some pretty weird stuff. One phenom
I've seen a few times, is I'm on the
road, going about 20 mph, and there is
the car following me, even though there
is no one coming the other way.
Eventually they pass, too close and then
I see they are talking on the damn cell
phone. Pileups with cars, is more
common now too, as these chatterboxes
run into each other on a regular basis.
I think the cell phone is the worst
development for bicyclists, because it's
almost everyone on the road now.

(PeteCresswell) said:

All I can think of is that some people are a *lot* better at
multiprocessing than I am - because I wouldn't last a week doing
some of the stuff I see drivers doing every day.
--

A contractor I work with was texting while driving, plowed into a
guardrail and totalled his Cherokee. I long for the days when cars
didn't save their drivers from their own stupdity. All he got was a
cracked wrist and ribs.

And then there was the bike rider who crossed in front of me (on a
cross street- thankfully she had the light), riding a black bike,
wearing black tights and a dark grey sweater, while chatting on her
cell phone. This was at 6:15 in the morning- full dark that time of
year. She dissappeared from view before she'd gone 30 feet. Amazing.

Jeff

Bill Sornson said:

Quoted message said:

For the life of me, I can't figure out why people want to talk on
phone, while their driving. It's 1 out of 3 cars here, and it's
really making riding hell. The drivers are getting closer, they
make poor decisions, and they do some pretty weird stuff. One
phenom I've seen a few times, is I'm on the road, going about 20
mph, and there is the car following me, even though there is no one
coming the other way. Eventually they pass, too close and then I
see they are talking on the damn cell phone. Pileups with cars, is
more common now too, as these chatterboxes run into each other on a
regular basis. I think the cell phone is the worst development for
bicyclists, because it's almost everyone on the road now.

Quoted message said:

I think that people buy so many "minutes" nowadays that they think
they're wasting money if they don't use them. NO ONE has to talk on
the phone constantly while walking, driving, shopping, etc. I liked
it better when cell phones were really for vital mobile
communications and not blabbing just to be blabbing.

I believe that possibly half of them are calls they receive from folks
who cannot know where the person they are calling might be. I have a
few friends that I call and sometimes they are underway in their cars.
I don't know if they pull over to talk but I know some do because I've
been in their cars when they receive calls.

Jobst Brandt

JeffWills said:

A contractor I work with was texting while driving, plowed into a
guardrail and totalled his Cherokee. I long for the days when cars
didn't save their drivers from their own stupdity. All he got was a
cracked wrist and ribs.

Dear Jeff,

I'm all in favor of protection, since your contractor might have
plowed into my car instead of the innocent guardrail.

But I understand your reaction.

I was flabbergasted a few years ago at a party by a woman who
complained quite bitterly and seriouslyl that the airbag in her car
was no damned good and that she hated them.

It turned out that her airbag had gone off when she fell asleep at the
wheel and hit a tree next to the highway, but she suffered a broken
breastbone in the accident and felt that this was grossly unfair.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

I believe that possibly half of them are calls they receive from folks
who cannot know where the person they are calling might be. I have a
few friends that I call and sometimes they are underway in their cars.
I don't know if they pull over to talk but I know some do because I've
been in their cars when they receive calls.

If I call someone's cell and they're driving, I generally ask them to
call me back when they're stopped.

A couple years ago, a colleague from work phoned me while he was
driving. I was uncomfortable talking to him, and even more
uncomfortable when he suddenly sounded terrified on the phone, then
said he'd have to call be back. He phoned within a minute, still
sounding shaken, and confessed that he "almost had an incident."

I prefer not to contribute to this problem.

- Frank Krygowski

email hidden said:

I believe that possibly half of them are calls they receive from folks
who cannot know where the person they are calling might be. I have a
few friends that I call and sometimes they are underway in their cars.
I don't know if they pull over to talk but I know some do because I've
been in their cars when they receive calls.

Jobst Brandt

No excuse though. You can turn them off or not answer when you're
driving.

Cheers

Joel

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 |
www.humanpowered.com.au | CPF and RTCA Member

Joel Mayes said:

On 2008-01-06, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I believe that possibly half of them are calls they receive from folks
who cannot know where the person they are calling might be. I have a
few friends that I call and sometimes they are underway in their cars.
I don't know if they pull over to talk but I know some do because I've
been in their cars when they receive calls.

Quoted message said:

Jobst Brandt

No excuse though. You can turn them off or not answer when you're
driving.

Cheers

Joel

--
Human Powered Cycles | High quality servicing and repairs
[email hidden] | Affordable second hand bikes
(03) 9029 6504 |www.humanpowered.com.au | CPF and RTCA Member

Isn't that prohibited in the states ? It is over here and it's a
pretty nice fine too (+180$). You either pull over or get a hands free
kit.
Speaking of dangerous habits while driving, I don't think smokers are
any better. They constantly have to juggle that cigarette around to
keep control of their cars. Maybe thats better over there with all the
automatics but almost all cars over here are manual (stick).

Per Joel Mayes:

Quoted message said:

No excuse though. You can turn them off or not answer when you're
driving.

Which makes me think of a feature I've wanted on my cell phones
since day #1: A hard button on the phone that, when pressed,
turns the phone off for a preset number of minutes with each push
of the button.

No menus, no having to look at anything... something you can
operate with one hand while the phone is still in your pocket.
Would probably need a slider-enabler/disabler like on an iPod to
prevent accidental use....

I go into a meeting, I turn off my phone the normal way... then I
forget to turn it back on again. I've even resorted to taking
the battery out and laying the phone/battery on the table as a
reminder.

With the magic button set it for, say 10-minute increments, I
just push it 4 times for an anticipated 40-minute meeting.... or
automobile trip.

OTOH, maybe something that cuts into the amount of airtime that I
use isn't exactly at the top of the phone company's priority
list... -)

--
PeteCresswell

Crescentius Vespasianus said:

For the life of me, I can't figure out why people want to talk on phone,
while their driving.

Hmm, you must not be trying very hard then.

Quoted message said:

It's 1 out of 3 cars here, and it's really making
riding hell. The drivers are getting closer, they make poor decisions,
and they do some pretty weird stuff. One phenom I've seen a few times,
is I'm on the road, going about 20 mph, and there is the car following
me, even though there is no one coming the other way. Eventually they
pass, too close and then I see they are talking on the damn cell phone.
Pileups with cars, is more common now too, as these chatterboxes run
into each other on a regular basis. I think the cell phone is the worst
development for bicyclists, because it's almost everyone on the road now.

It's a bad development for drivers as well, but it isn't going away.
People are also paying too much attention to their GPS screens.

I've seen people texting while driving, reading, writing, eating cereal,
shaving, putting on make-up, and tying neckties.

Ironically, one study found that users of hands free devices use their
hands to eat, drink, smoke, etc.

What makes me mad is that my Bluetooth headset doesn't work while I'm on
the bicycle because of the wind noise.

webhead wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Isn't that prohibited in the states ?

It varies by state, and only three states have a hands-free law at this
time, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Washington D.C. also has
such a law.

In California and Washington state it goes into effect on July 1, 2008.

Invariably these laws are opposed by Republicans, so it's difficult to
get them passed. Their stated reason for opposition is "government
intrusion" while the real reason is that they get campaign contributions
from the wireless carriers. If Plantronics and Jabra could contribute
more, then these Republicans would suddenly discover an interest in
public safety.

The only carrier that registered opposition to the law was Sprint.
Cingular and T-Mobile took no position, and Verizon supported it.

On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 03:31:59 -0800 (PST), webhead <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Isn't that prohibited in the states ? It is over here and it's a
pretty nice fine too (+180$). You either pull over or get a hands free
kit.

Only in very small number of places. More places are starting to talk
about addressing it.

Quoted message said:

Speaking of dangerous habits while driving, I don't think smokers are
any better. They constantly have to juggle that cigarette around to
keep control of their cars. Maybe thats better over there with all the
automatics but almost all cars over here are manual (stick).

The problem though, is beyond the action of using a hand to talk on
the phone or smoke. Cell phone use causes your brain to shift into a
mode where you are no longer paying strict attention to your driving.
It doesn't matter if it's hand free or not.

As for the OP's question... while this is chauvinistic, it seems like
women want to talk on the phone all the time. Now that they can do it
in their cars, they do. It's an addiction. I also know a lot of
business people who use it as an ego inflator - if they call you while
driving aka multi-tasking, they are oh-so-kuel, important, connected,
modernistic and efficient!

Per still just me:

Quoted message said:

The problem though, is beyond the action of using a hand to talk on
the phone or smoke. Cell phone use causes your brain to shift into a
mode where you are no longer paying strict attention to your driving.
It doesn't matter if it's hand free or not.

That's what I always thought. Hands/no hands... it's moot.

The real issue is that most phone conversations are predicated on
the full attention of each participant - and that kind of
attention takes brainpower away from driving.

In fact, I'd even venture that hands-free is a step down.

Now I can't see the person talking on a phone from behind and I'm
not forewarned.
--
PeteCresswell

Per SMS:

Quoted message said:

I've seen people texting while driving, reading, writing, eating cereal,
shaving, putting on make-up, and tying neckties.

When we were van pooling to work, I got a chance to watch a lot
of drivers from a pretty good vantage point.

What amazed me were the ones reading newspapers while driving.
Not just furtive glances.... I mean *reading*. And it's not like
they're dying like flies out there.

All I can think is that some people have a capacity for
multiprocessing and peripheral vision that I can't even begin to
comprehend.
--
PeteCresswell

still just me said:

The problem though, is beyond the action of using a hand to talk on
the phone or smoke. Cell phone use causes your brain to shift into a
mode where you are no longer paying strict attention to your driving.
It doesn't matter if it's hand free or not.

An excellent point... these things shouldn't be used in cars at all.
Hefty fines for not paying attention to *driving* would be an great
idea...

Quoted message said:

As for the OP's question... while this is chauvinistic, it seems like
women want to talk on the phone all the time. Now that they can do it
in their cars, they do. It's an addiction.

And it also gives them something to do during long commutes. They
spend so much time driving, it would be a shame to "waste" it. BTW...
on the gender theme, women are probably better at talking and driving
at the same time than men due to the way their brains are wired.

(PeteCresswell) said:

Per SMS:

Quoted message said:

I've seen people texting while driving, reading, writing, eating cereal,
shaving, putting on make-up, and tying neckties.

When we were van pooling to work, I got a chance to watch a lot
of drivers from a pretty good vantage point.

What amazed me were the ones reading newspapers while driving.
Not just furtive glances.... I mean *reading*. And it's not like
they're dying like flies out there.

All I can think is that some people have a capacity for
multiprocessing and peripheral vision that I can't even begin to
comprehend.

I wouldn't say they're dying like flies but accidents due to distracted
driving are definitely on the rise. No studies to quote handy but they're
out there, and pretty conclusive.

Matt O.

I often talk and drive. I really can't seem to avoid it, the customer
expects instant access. If the traffic is dicey I say "can I call you
right back?" and hit "end". Sometimes I just silence it and it goes to
VM or they call my office. If I am on a lightly trafficked freeway I
will make calls, as I literally waste hours driving, nature of my
business. I do agree that the practice of cell phone talking and
driving has made cycling on trafficked roads more dangerous. As an avid
recreational cyclist, I have been forced to abandon certain routes at
certain times of the day. I used to lead small groups of kids (Scouts,
church group) but this is utterly irresponsible now unless the route is
nearly car-free.

The only answer, as I see it, is an increase in the motor fuel tax, to
discourage discretionary driving, and fund repair and upgrades to our
transportation infrastrucure. Right now, that looks to be a tax
strategy to slowly increase the real cost of gasoline to approximately
$6/gal. I imagine ten years to be enough time for consumers and
manufacturers to shift toward more fuel efficient vehicles, including
transit and bicycles!

On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 03:31:59 -0800 (PST), webhead <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Joel Mayes said:

On 2008-01-06, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I believe that possibly half of them are calls they receive from folks
who cannot know where the person they are calling might be. I have a
few friends that I call and sometimes they are underway in their cars.
I don't know if they pull over to talk but I know some do because I've
been in their cars when they receive calls.

Quoted message said:

Jobst Brandt

No excuse though. You can turn them off or not answer when you're
driving.

Quoted message said:

Isn't that prohibited in the states ? It is over here and it's a
pretty nice fine too (+180$). You either pull over or get a hands free
kit.
Speaking of dangerous habits while driving, I don't think smokers are
any better. They constantly have to juggle that cigarette around to
keep control of their cars. Maybe thats better over there with all the
automatics but almost all cars over here are manual (stick).

Add drinking coffee to the above. It's so easy to spill and burn
yourself.

BTW: In the UK it is illegal to use a handheld cell/mobile phone
whilst the engine is running. However it is not well enforced so many
drivers ignore it.

M.

Bill Taylor said:

I often talk and drive. I really can't seem to avoid it, the customer
expects instant access. If the traffic is dicey I say "can I call you
right back?" and hit "end". Sometimes I just silence it and it goes to
VM or they call my office. If I am on a lightly trafficked freeway I
will make calls, as I literally waste hours driving, nature of my
business. I do agree that the practice of cell phone talking and
driving has made cycling on trafficked roads more dangerous. As an avid
recreational cyclist, I have been forced to abandon certain routes at
certain times of the day. I used to lead small groups of kids (Scouts,
church group) but this is utterly irresponsible now unless the route is
nearly car-free.

Companies or indivduals should IMHO change their working practises to
avoid this kind of scenario.

Quoted message said:

The only answer, as I see it, is an increase in the motor fuel tax, to
discourage discretionary driving, and fund repair and upgrades to our
transportation infrastrucure. Right now, that looks to be a tax
strategy to slowly increase the real cost of gasoline to approximately
$6/gal. I imagine ten years to be enough time for consumers and
manufacturers to shift toward more fuel efficient vehicles, including
transit and bicycles!

This hasn't worked in the UK. The government have been increasing tax
on fuel above inflation for many years (from an already high level)
and traffic levels are still growing rapidly. Petrol (Gas) is now
103p per litre which equates to over 7.5 USD per gallon.

I think the trouble with using taxation to control a behaviour is that
it only really impacts on the poorest. The majority of people just
absorb the extra cost.

M.