Razzin' frazzin' cell phones..

[Mindy]

Please! Hang up on your cell phone when you're driving, drivers of my city. You can't even chew gum and walk at the same time! I've seen ya's!!!

*has almost been hit over ten times*

I will seriously beat the driver with their own cell phone if I ever get hit by one..   

[moronqueen]

I SO feel ya there.

What gets me more is frickin' TEXTING while driving. *facepalms*

[Raphael]

It is illegal to talk on a cell phone (or text) while driving unless it's a handsfree device here.

Not sure if it's helping or not...people are ducking to the side, to hide the fact that they're on the phone, which isn't exactly safe.

And, more ironically, when the law first came out, one of the bylaw control officers was in a car accident. The woman driving the other car hit him...while trying to get her handsfree device set up and working.  Yeah, the thought occurs, get that stuff working BEFORE you pull out of your parking spot??

[Amicitia]

The laws stateside are still spotty; it can change from one town to the next.

I was watching "30 Days" last night... the victim participant observed that you can't use a cell phone while driving a car with hand controls. Yeah, well, you shouldn't be using your cell phone while driving ANYWAY.

Put DOWN your phone while you are DRIVING.

Put DOWN your phone while you are AT WORK.

Put DOWN your phone while you are interacting with an ACTUAL PERSON.

Really. I dare you.

[Raphael]

Anyone watch Mythbusters?  They tested driver concentration while driving 1) with no distraction; 2) while talking on a cell phone; 3) while almost legally drunk.

Not surprisingly, they drove best with no distraction. They failed the driving test both while just below the legal limit for being drunk and while on the cell. And they failed WORSE when chatting on their phones.

[Mindy]

It's really ridiculous when you can hear the person ON THE PHONE through a loudspeaker or even just through the phone. Dear Bob on a cheese toast.

Conversations can't wait until you get home and/or talk in private somewhere? O_o;

[Raphael]

I think some people like to feel self important by walking/driving around while yacking on the phone.

"Yep, look at me, my time is SO important that I just cannot wait to stop my car or step to the side so I can make a phone call. And I want everyone around me to be ablet to listen in on at elast part of my call, too!"   

[moronqueen]

I'm guilty of walking around, talking on the phone because it's very often litterally the only time I have for phone conversations. With an hour commute one way and working 40 hours plus per week, I only have three free hours a day at home to do the domestic stuff. What damage is a person going to do walking and talking on the phone? It's not like they'll kill someone if they bump into them. Every time you're in public people will irritate no matter what.

It's a handy defense against perverts trying to interract, too...not everyone wants to be told a stranger's life story, either.

[Raphael]

I appreciate that, Mo, and, to be honest, I don't have as much of an issue with the chatty walkers...except when they either refuse to acknowledge anyone else and just plow through people...or when they talk so loud that folks on the other side of the continent can listen in (oddly enough, these ones also tend to be the ones that have a vocabulary that is limited to the 'f' word and its many variations).

I had one guy walking behind me once, he was loudly talking on his phone to someone, telling them that they were f'n immature about all of the f'n s*** that was f'n going on...and I just started laughing, thinking the other person could not possibly have been less immature than the idiot I could hear behind me.   

I've walked & talked myself, once or twice...and I drove and talked once. Ok, technically, I didn't...I was behind the wheel of my car, the car was running and in drive...but my foot was on the brake and traffic wasn't moving for miles. I called home quickly to say "Hey, I may be a little late tonight". (and I was - almost an hour late)

[Michaelangelo]

Ok,

I guess I should speak up....

I am one of those people who is always on the phone... well if I can help it.  In the car I use headsets or hands free.  If I'm doing long drives by myself there is no better way to stay awake than to have someone on the phone chatting with me.  It helps me keep going.  I have never hit anyone *knocks on wood* or went out of my own lane or became an unsafe driver because of this.  Since I was a kid I've been a multitasker... watching TV, talking to my sister, and drawing all at the same time.  Even at school, I would do other things and still be able to answer the teacher's questions.  When stuck doing only one thing, I get so bored that it's hard for me to focus.  So if I don't have the phone going, I got my radio in the car going to sing along with (torture to anyone else who may be in the car, I got a horrible singing voice )

I talk on the phone while in the store, though if someone asks me something or if I'm in line to see a register person I do put the phone down for the people around me.  I just really enjoy getting to chat with people.  Those on the phone with me, can usually verify that I tell them to hang on a second when I'm with people in real life. 

And yes, this isn't to say that I think everyone can do this.  I do think those who are not good at multitasking ruin it for everyone else.  We were behind a guy yesterday going about 10 under the speed limit when we finally got to pass him, we notice he was smoking and on the phone... holding the phone to his ear.   Recently I even saw a cop driving holding a phone to his ear, but he wasn't driving crazy or anything... I just thought it was funny to see a cop doing that.  There are bad drivers out there... those who can't drink water and drive at the same time... but that doesn't mean everyone who does it, is like that bad driver.

[Mindy]

As a cashier, I do find it rude when people are on the cell phone and completely ignore me. It's even more irritating when the order gets messed up because the person couldn't get off the phone long enough to make sure the order was correct.

If you can multi-task well, maybe it's not such a problem, but if you're at the stores, give your complete attention to the staff. Likewise, the staff shouldn't be on a cell phone either. Now THAT really toasts my bun.

[Buslady]

It's illegal as of today July 1 in SoCal, to drive and have a phone at yer ear. I saw two people today...where's the cops when ya want em?

[Lisardo]

As a cashier, I do find it rude when people are on the cell phone and completely ignore me. It's even more irritating when the order gets messed up because the person couldn't get off the phone long enough to make sure the order was correct.

If you can multi-task well, maybe it's not such a problem, but if you're at the stores, give your complete attention to the staff. Likewise, the staff shouldn't be on a cell phone either. Now THAT really toasts my bun.

AMEN to that!  I used to work as a cashier too and that pizza'ed me off soo much!  One guy who's order I was taking (needing his last name, number), whipped out his licence cuz he was too busy yacking on the phone.  I tried to say something but he, with his "holier than art thou" attitude said, "Well I'm on the phone, whatya want me to do?"  Gahh...I wanted to hit him!  I noticed nowadays in some stores they have signs up at the registers saying something like, "As a courtesy please do don't talk on cellphones while waiting in line at the register."  AMEN to that too! 

[Lisardo]

It's illegal as of today July 1 in SoCal, to drive and have a phone at yer ear. I saw two people today...where's the cops when ya want em?

It's supposedly illegal here in my state too now.  I can see calling someone up for a few min's while driving (with just the handset) but not longer than that.  Cuz yes, it is distracting.