Subscribe Feed (RSS)The Oregonian had a story today wrapping up all the things our legislature did to us this last session. And I’m not going to whine about them throwing a tax on my kayak, either — which seems to me very stupid.
Now I know it’s not popular to fight this whole cell-phone ban thing in cars, but when is somebody going to say how ridiculous it is? You’re going to ban hand-held cell phones? OK, but let’s be fair.
Let’s ban people eating their dinner at 55 miles per hour in cars. Drinking scalding hot coffee in cars. Reaching over into the back seat and slapping their two kids and their dog in cars. Applying makeup in their cars. Picking their nose in their car. Seriously — why is it I can do anything I want to do with my hands in the driver’s seat of my car except hold my cell phone?
Now don’t tell me it isn’t just the act of holding the phone, it’s the distraction of the conversation. Bull. Then why allow hands-free conversations — either on the phone or with others? Why not just put a cone of silence around all drivers? Yank all those radios out, too.
You can tell me all you want about all the accidents cell phones have caused. I’ll counter by telling you that people distracted by cell phone use will still crash into your cars because they’ll be distracted by something else.
And now, talking on their hands-free phone, they’ll have room in their hands for a cup of hot java, the morning paper, a couple of toothpicks and a jelly doughnut. Oh, and they’ll be reaching into the back seat to slap that screaming three-year-old silly. That would all be perfectly legal.
Great. Now all this means is I’ve got to go out and find some expensive earpiece/microphone/bluetooth gadget for my phone that affects the quality of the call and distracts me even more than the original conversation did.
Fools.
Tags: bad drivers, bluetooth, cell phones, Dwight Jaynes, hands-free, kayaks, Oregon legislature
right on.
Dwight: I hear ya about driving distractions, but the real danger about cell phones in the car is texting. It’s a brutal fact that more people are getting killed and injured because drivers are texting. Texting and driving at the same time is a recipe for disaster. Can and will the law be enforced? That’s a good question.
Using your cell phone while driving is dangerous. But texting while driving is even more dangerous! You’d be surprised at how many people do it.
But I do think having a Bluetooth headset really helps taking away the distractions and the call quality on some of the nicer headsets aren’t that bad.
I totally agree…and I’m Texting this response while driving. Was that a Stop Sign?
Amen.
Keep it up Dwight. I love a good morning rant. We need more of them you old curmudgeon!
I say pick one day out of the week, like a crappy Wednesday, and go for it. Whatever strikes your mood that week.
Thanks again for being my favorite read on the internet. Long live the Godfather!!!
I don’t see how this law could stop texting… you can’t see the phone from outside the car when somebody is texting… the only thing that cops are going to be able to enforce is when someone has that phone up to their ear.
Welcome to the Nanny State Dwight!
How many times do you hear the word “banned” these days?
You would think that our elected officials would have more pressing issues to deal with.
You are right about one thing…The compromise to allow hands free devices is total B.S. I am all for banning all cell conversations in cars, period.
Sure James… hands-free calls are terrible. They’re so much different than talking to someone in the back seat. Come on — think these things through. Don’t be bitter because you don’t know how to operate a cell phone!
Add smoking and self gratification to the list…Well, I guess that would be in reverse order.
This is Washington State’s results after one year of the law. From todays Tacoma News Tribune
A year ago today, the state’s hands-free law took effect.
Under the law, drivers talking on cell phones must use a hands free device or face a fine if caught. (Another state law prohibits drivers from text messaging while driving down the road.)
It’s a secondary violation in Washington, which means troopers have to spot another traffic violation (speeding, busted taillight, expired tabs, etc.) in order to stop a car. If the driver also has on a cell phone next to his ear, he could be fined for violating the hands free law.
From July 1, 2008 through Tuesday, Washington State Patrol troopers contacted 4,939 drivers who were driving with a cellphone to their ear, the agency reported. Of those, 1,659 drivers received the $124 ticket for violating the hands free law.
The other 3,280 drivers received a warning and were instructed to obey the state law.
Dwighty Dwight,
This is why I read your blog. You’re not only a very smart basketball analyst but you also just have good old common sense. Something that is missing from the majority of people today.
The gov’t is getting so stupid with all their BS but the problem is the stupid people who support these things.
Quick story: I was arguing with my friends about seatbelt laws being ridiculous. If I want to put myself in danger, why should anyone else care as long as I’m not hurting other people. Well, one of my idiot friends actually said – and he totally believes this too – that I have to wear to seatbelt to protect other people because if I get in a high speed accident I might fly out of the car and hit someone else.
Too many people out there are just flat dumb and that’s why we have to put up with this kind of garbage.
^rec
I’m not excited about spending money on a hands free device that changes nothing.
Couldn’t agree more. People need to learn to take responsibility for themselves. If you can handle talking and driving… great, if you can’t handle it then don’t do it. People need to know their own limitations.
I can’t wait for the ban to go into effect. Whether it’s putting on mascara, eating a big mac, or yakking on the phone, it’s still dangerous to drive a car doing these things. I gotta admit, it will be almost impossible to enforce, though.
I am laughing really hard …………..it makes a lot of sense……….the texting is really a hazard….I have been able to swing my right arm back and take care of the horsing around in the back seat……..and still focus………..laughing………..it really all makes sense…………not to be doing all the things you have shared. I am thinking the people who pushed this law have stock in “Hands Free Devices for Cell Phones”
Judy,
That is always the case. All you have to do is follow the money.
If people would just use common sense, then we wouldn’t need laws like the cell phone ban. But people often don’t use – or have – common sense, so we end up with laws that take away freedoms and punish everyone.
I do think, though, that talking on a cell phone while driving is more dangerous than eating a donut or applying mascara. Why? Because conversing with someone on a cell phone requires you to focus on the conversation, and that takes away from your ability to focus on your driving. Eating a donut or primping yourself aren’t nearly as much of a distraction.
I don’t see what all the fuss is about, I’m driving right now, texting away a response on Dwight’s blog and I’m completely focused on the ro!@!@ OMG car coming CRAP!$$&@$@@ NO CARRIER
Maybe we could just restrict the cell phone ban to women driving mini-vans. Everyone else would be exempt.
Another piece of your freedom lost…another source of revenue for the government gained
I have mixed feelings about this because it is a safety issue. However, the cynic in me sees this as just another way to get money out of your pocket and into uncle sugar’s machine of neverending waste
If you really sincerely care uncle sugar, then ban it all. However you won’t do that cause that could also mean lost revenues…have to keep that holy dollar rollin
scuse me while I go vomit
I agree with Tim…problem solved.
Hands on is not the issue to me. It is the distraction of being involved in communication with a person out of your sight.
I can not do that. It is totally distracting to me to talk on phone while driving. I am dangerous, so I do not do it. Then I rarely use a cell phone anywhere.
I do think many of the stupid phone in car people have figured it out. I see a lot fewer out there now. 5 years ago it was constant where I saw people drifting or turning into traffic when they should not. with phone to ear.
But just 2 days ago. I had to stop in parking lot while guy with phone to ear came out from side aisle with car and phone to ear. But at least I knew to stop cause I could see phone to ear. Handless we will not be able to know.
Dwight, the central problem is that busy-body control freaks are drawn to small-time political power like a junkie to a great fix.
Your logic is perfect – and irrelevant to the control-freak. The same people who will give long stem-winders about how funding artists with tax money so that they can model sculptures out of their own feces is an important matter of “freedom” have no problem controling what you do with your hands in your car.
Most disgustingly is the result that these noxious people then congratulate themselves for making us safer.
To allude to one of your earlier posts, perhaps there should be legislation banning those legislators from patting themselves on the back while driving.