Should all cities ban cell phones while driving?

Henro · May 6, 2006

Turn the loud music down, I'm hard of hearing and it even annoys me. 

A couple days ago I was at a traffic light with the windows open enjoying a warm spring day.

While I could not tell which vehicle it was coming from, the base of the music was so overpowering I HAD to close my windows fearing ear damage. AND this is coming from a guy that is working in a VERY NOISY steel mill arc furnace shop!

I never did figure out what car this sound was coming from. I turned left, the "music" did too. One more traffic light and then a possible speeding ticket later I was free of it, and the windows went back down...and I started enjoying the spring day again.

Whoever was in that car certainly has no concept of what leads to hearing loss... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Soundguy · May 7, 2006

( I really believe this depends on the individual. Although, passing laws to stop the few idiots seems excessive. Anytime the government tells me they are passing a law for my safety, I start to think it is nothing more than a means to gain control.
)

Consumer and product safety laws... we loose more rights and liberties very subtly to thing like those each year.. slow erosion.. harder to realize.

In the end.. there is just no good way to legislate stupidity without killing the quality of life for the majority, to make up for the minority.

I'm still of the opinion that if we ban talking on hands free cellphones, we will start down a path to banning talking and radio's in vehicles.. and then that will lead to government monitoring.. I.E. them listening to the microphone inyour car to see if you are talking... Everyone raise your hands who wants to live with that level of 'safety'? Not me.. not yet anyway... I'll take my chances on the roads like they are. I'm in the group that 'can' chew gum and walk at the same time. So far I've also been in the group that can talk/drive at the same time.. -and- be able to watch out for those that don't seem to be able to. Enough of my rights have already been either voulentarilly or invoulentarilly given up to the government before I was born, or before I could vote. I think we need to close that floodgate a little bit. All those that like less personal freedom, should think about moving to a place with less human rights to begin with.. rather than erode the few founding tennants we may have left over from our forefathers here. To go a bit further on that.. try to choose a country where you are not a citizen.. but perhaps a 'subject' that will get you going in the correct direction with a government that has complete control of your personal life.. and where you don't have a 'bill of rights' to stand on when the water starts rising... -soapbox mode off-

Soundguy

HGM · May 7, 2006

Soundguy,
I agree with you for the most part.. I just have issue with the PC movement to protect the intelegence impared.. I personally object to the seatbelt and helmet laws because they are requiring me to protect myself whether its nesicary or not.. In this case, its a requirement to not hurt others... I dont have a problem with hands free phones in the car, because like you said its like the radio.. But, as for a phone to ones ear, while a coffee in the other hand and a newspaper on the steering wheel... We need to have some sort of control there.. It must be limited, but rather than protect the challenged, we must be protected from them...

Soundguy · May 7, 2006

( But, as for a phone to ones ear, while a coffee in the other hand and a newspaper on the steering wheel )

In my book that falls under 'just plain stupid'.. I'm not sure how we can go about 'legislating' against stupidity.. as.. stupidity has no bounds. If we start legislating stupidity.. eventually -everything- will be illegal... A quote I often hear is that the IQ of the world is a constant, yet the population is increasing... this creates a problem.

In the end.. The 'largest' cause of death.. is living. You can only make life so 'safe'.. up untill a point when it is not an experience.

We all take risks every day.. some more than others. If you operate a motor vehicle, your chances of being kille din a motor vehicle go way up.. Again.. I'm not going to trade away all my freedoms for security.... You run out of freedom real fast.. and the security is onle a false sense of safety anyway... in the big scheme of things..

When it is your 'time'.. the big 'guy' is gonna get you.. whether there are 'no coffe and phones wile driving laws' or not. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy

flwiii · May 8, 2006

When it is your 'time'.. the big 'guy' is gonna get you.. whether there are 'no coffe and phones wile driving laws' or not. 

I don't think the 'big guy' has any interest in taking anyone. We as a people do too good of a job of that without any outside help.

 In my book that falls under 'just plain stupid'.. I'm not sure how we can go about 'legislating' against stupidity.. as.. stupidity has no bounds. 

Quite true. you can't protect against stupidity, each generation produces more. It's a no win proposition. It's like trying to put out a forest fire with a spritzer bottle.

I had a pharmacist tell me once that the worlds problems should be blamed on the medical industry.
He stated that by advances in medicine, we are allowing people to live that by all rights should have died. Now we are living with the offspring of those people.

I understand his point but just can't agree with it.

dooleysm · May 8, 2006

I think whoever said that cell phones are the scapegoat had it right. There's alot of terrible drivers out there. It's too easy to blame this bad driving on cell phones, radios, coffee, or whatever distraction you can think of. The problem is, people, in general, are bad drivers...they don't use turn signals correctly, they don't use passing lanes correctly, etc. In general, people have no idea what is going on around them, just what they see directly in front of them.

Ride a motorcycle for a month and you'll have a completely different outlook on driving. I was nearly run off the road on several occassions back when I was riding. I am certain that I am a better driver while using a cell phone than 50% of the people on the roads today.

BlueRidge · May 8, 2006

( I foresee the day when certain places will be blanketed with CP blocking devices )

Currently such devices are illegal, so that would require some action from Congress. Bad idea, too. Too many idiots already using them for pranks.

( as it has been proven that joe citizen has no concern for his fellow citizens. )

Oh, we didn't need cellphones to prove that! Just glance out your window at the ground next time you are stopped at a light, and look at all the cigarette butts! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

BlueRidge · May 8, 2006

( Ride a motorcycle for a month and you'll have a completely different outlook on driving. )

THAT's sure true!

Bird · May 8, 2006

( The problem is, people, in general, are bad drivers )

I've always said there are two things we let almost anyone do without any proper training:
(1) be drivers
(2) be parents
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

flwiii · May 8, 2006

I am certain that I am a better driver while using a cell phone than 50% of the people on the roads today. 

 I think the big problem with drivers is perception. 

You could go out on the street and ask 50 people to rate their driving ability and I would guess that 75% of them would answer as you did.
Don't get me wrong, I am not questioning your ability as a driver.
I don't think I am qualified for that task, just stating that most of the really bad drivers I have met think they are good.

I guarantee that there are just as many people out there that think I am a bad driver as there are people that I perceive to be bad drivers. I have not found many people that will admit that they are lousy drivers, but based on all the statistics, someone is full of the ole crapola.

It's like going into a maximum security prison and asking the inmates if they have good morals. I think we might be shocked by the response.